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The political prisoner Ana Ibis Tristá Padilla, 37 years old and originally from Las Tunas, is in critical health condition in prison, according to family complaints reported on Monday by the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH).
According to testimonies from her family, Tristá Padilla has kidney issues that prevent her from urinating normally, forcing her to rely on constant medication. She also experiences extreme weakness, fainting with minimal effort, and visible signs of physical deterioration.
He also suffers from intense pain in his bones and joints, symptoms that the OCDH directly associates with malnutrition and the lack of adequate medical care in prison.
The OCDH holds the Cuban regime responsible for her health condition, demands immediate medical attention and appropriate conditions, and reiterates the call for freedom for Ana Ibis Tristá Padilla and all political prisoners in Cuba.
Tristá Padilla is serving a 14-year prison sentence imposed by the Crimes against State Security Chamber of the Provincial Court of Santiago de Cuba, in September 2025, for alleged crimes of propaganda against the constitutional order and other acts against State Security.
The charges are based on Facebook posts and the alleged call for a peaceful march that never took place, without any material evidence of violence.
According to the OCDH, the process was characterized by irregularities: in an initial trial held on November 24, 2024, she was acquitted along with Jarol Varona Agüero due to insufficient evidence, but the prosecutor Adán Vicente Santos Santos appealed the acquittal.
The Supreme Court annulled that sentence on May 21, 2025 and ordered a new trial, which resulted in a 14-year sentence. Organizations such as Prisoners Defenders describe the process as a violation of the principle of res judicata.
The case of Ana Ibis cannot be understood without that of her husband, Damián de Jesús Hechavarría Labrada, also a political prisoner since April 21, 2021, when he was arrested in Las Tunas after protesting against a fine of 5,000 Cuban pesos that was imposed on him for selling ornamental plants to support his sick mother.
During that protest, Damián shouted "Down with the dictatorship! Homeland and Life!"
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