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The Cuban political prisoner Duannis León Taboada, one of the young individuals sentenced after the protests on July 11, 2021, was sent to a punitive cell at the Combinado del Este in Havana after writing anti-government slogans inside the prison, in a new episode that worsens his already precarious situation.
According to his mother, Jenny Taboada, who learned through an inmate that managed to communicate with her, the young man filled the walls of his cell with phrases like “freedom” and “justice” during a protest that took place last Saturday, coinciding with family visiting day. As a consequence, the prison authorities decided to isolate him, as reported by Martí Noticias.
That same day, Duannis could not see his family. He was not brought out for the meeting because he refuses to wear the prison uniform, a stance that is part of the peaceful protest he has been maintaining for months. “I tried to see him, but they didn’t bring him out because he doesn’t have a uniform,” his mother explained.
The punishment comes in a particularly tense context. According to recent reports, the young man had already been beaten inside the prison by an officer, in an incident that left him with an open wound on his eyebrow without receiving proper medical attention. Since then, he remains under constant pressure and harassment.
Sources close to the case warn that authorities may attempt to bring new criminal charges against him, even though he was the one who was assaulted in the altercation. His transfer to a punishment cell deepens the isolation to which he has been subjected.
For the past three months, Duannis has been facing severe restrictions: he cannot receive visits or make phone calls, and he has even been denied basic benefits within the penitentiary system. His protest includes refusing to go out to the yard, participate in the daily headcount, or accept the conditions imposed by the prison.
At just 24 years old, he is serving a 14-year sentence for sedition. His family insists that he was merely exercising his right to peacefully protest during the events of July 11th.
The case has raised concern both inside and outside of Cuba. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) granted precautionary measures to both Duannis and his mother, considering that they are in a situation of serious risk. The organization has raised alerts regarding reports of violence, lack of medical attention, and detention conditions that compromise their integrity.
Meanwhile, her mother continues to publicly denounce what is happening behind the walls of Combinado del Este, also taking personal risks. For many Cubans, Duannis' story is not just that of a political prisoner, but of a generation that took to the streets in search of change and ended up confronting the weight of a system that punishes even the words written on a wall.
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