The human rights organization Cubalex denounced this Wednesday the serious violations of due process committed against Kamil Zayas Pérez and Ernesto Ricardo Medina, members of the independent audiovisual project El4tico, who have been held in custody for six months without the Prosecutor's Office presenting any charges or setting a date for the trial.
Both young individuals were arrested on February 6, 2026, at their homes in Holguín by agents of State Security and the Police, as part of an operation that included home searches and the confiscation of their work equipment: laptop, camera, phone, tripod, and router.
The Provincial Prosecutor's Office of Holguín charges them with the alleged crimes of propaganda against the constitutional order and incitement to commit crimes, charges that could result in sentences of up to nine years of imprisonment.
Since the end of March, they have been held in the Provincial Prison of Holguín, after initially being in the police unit known as "Everyone Sings."
Cubalex documented irregularities from the very beginning of the operation. The agents refused to show the search warrant when Ernesto Medina requested it, arguing that he would only have access to it after the procedure was concluded, and the operation was carried out without the presence of witnesses, directly violating Law No. 143 "On Criminal Procedure."
A habeas corpus petition filed on behalf of the detainees was rejected by the Provincial Court of Holguín.
According to the organization, “the extension of preventive detention for six months without a prosecution request or a trial date exacerbates concerns about the procedural guarantees for both young individuals,” in a situation that violates international human rights standards, which require that this measure be exceptional, necessary, and subject to effective judicial review.
Despite their imprisonment, both young men have maintained a stance of resistance. Just two weeks after his arrest, Kamil Zayas sent a message that circulated widely among activists: “It has been worth it. Do not give up.”
In June, he also sent a handwritten letter from prison in which he denounced the situation in Cuba and urged citizens not to give up their rights.
In Medina's case, his mother revealed in April that the State Security demanded that the young man record a video of repentance and retraction, which he refused.
Cubalex pointed out that this practice «has been repeatedly documented in Cuba» and is «incompatible with respecting freedom of conscience and with the right not to be forced to incriminate oneself or to make statements under coercion».
El4tico is an independent audiovisual project that emerged in Holguín in 2024, producing analysis and sociopolitical critique of the Cuban reality. It gathered tens of thousands of followers on social media before the regime arrested its founders.
According to communication from Cubalex with family members, both young people receive visits every 15 days and remain in good spirits given the circumstances of their incarceration, although they have not yet been informed about any prosecutor's request or when they would be brought to trial.
Related videos:
Filed under: