Yunaykis Linares Rodríguez, a political prisoner released after being convicted for her participation in the protests on July 11, 2021, was arrested again during a spontaneous protest in the Santa Amalia neighborhood, Arroyo Naranjo municipality, Havana, and reports having been beaten and suffocated by police officers during her transport to the holding cell.
The complaint was urgently shared by the activist Anamely Ramos on Facebook, who described how the police violently charged at neighbors who had taken to the streets "because they are at the limit of what is humane," arresting several individuals, including Yunaykis.
According to Ramos, Yunaykis "was viciously beaten just like the rest of her family, regardless of the presence of small children."
The activist recounted that the children were screaming desperately: "Kids screaming, saying that they were killing their sister. Sadists!"
From the cell known as "El Capri," where she was transferred, Yunaykis managed to record a brief video with her testimony: "I am beaten, they suffocated me, the officer was covering my mouth and nose to torture me. My name is Yunaykis Linares Rodríguez, a political prisoner for 11J and now released. They denied me medical assistance and water."
In the video, his voice is also heard saying: "They are coming, they hit me. They are taking me to a cell with a bunch of men."
Arián Cruz Álvarez, known as Tata Poet, also amplified the case on social media: "Yunaykis Linares was brutally beaten and tortured on the way while she was being taken away. All of this happened in front of minor children. They are brutal criminals."
Yunaykis was 24 years old when she was arrested during the 11J protests. The Cuban prosecutor's office sought 17 years in prison on charges of public disorder, assault, damages, and sedition; the final sentence was eight years. She was released in 2025 as part of partial releases related to international pressure, including an agreement with the Holy See announced in March 2026.
His new detention is not an isolated case. Those released from the 11J protests have been rearrested for social media posts or for participating in new protests, a documented pattern of harassment against political prisoners that the Cuban authorities systematically maintain.
The repressive context in Cuba has reached unprecedented levels: Prisoners Defenders reported in May 2026 an absolute record of 1,260 political prisoners, with reports of torture, sexual assaults, and death threats within the penal system.
Justicia 11J confirmed in April 2026 that at least 760 political prisoners remained incarcerated despite partial releases, while Amnesty International warned that these liberations lacked transparency and could not be fully verified.
Anamely Ramos, who has been living in New York since 2022 after being prevented from returning to Cuba by the authorities, concluded her statement with a direct warning to the regime: "People can no longer take it. They cannot kill people like this and then expect them to die in silence."
Filed under: