The Cuban Prosecutor's Office rejected the request to change the precautionary measure submitted by the defense of Eddy Ceballos, creator of the satirical channel Despingovery Channel, who has been in provisional detention since June 1 accused of espionage after recording an abandoned military facility in Havana.
The decision was criticized this Tuesday by Marieta Pérez Alfaro, the mother of the young man, who questioned why her son remains incarcerated while awaiting the progress of a legal process in which, as the family has reported, they still do not know the evidence supporting a charge of extreme seriousness.
«Today, the Prosecutor's Office finally responded to the request for a change in the precautionary measure proposed by the defense attorney handling Eddy Ceballos's case; and, what a surprise!!! it was negative», wrote Pérez Alfaro on Facebook.
The mother stated that there are no reasons to justify keeping Ceballos in provisional detention. She pointed out that he has no criminal record, does not pose a real flight risk, would not be in a position to interfere with the evidence, and does not represent a danger to others.
But their main concern once again focused on the origin of the accusation: the content that their son recorded inside a military facility that, according to the family, was abandoned, lacked surveillance and signage, and was even frequented by children from the area.
"What is the military secret that lies in an abandoned area, officially decommissioned since 2025, which has no boundaries, signage, or security and is routinely used as a playground by the local children?" he inquired.
From recording military ruins to an accusation of espionage
The case began at the end of May, when Ceballos published a video for Despingovery Channel in which he explored an old military facility in Havana.
The images showed remnants of Soviet military equipment, including missiles from the 1960s, radars, and Cold War bunkers, in a visibly deteriorated facility.
Ceballos was detained on June 1.
Initially, it was reported that he was accused of "invasion of military property." The human rights advisory and defense organization Cubalex questioned this charge and asserted that such an offense does not exist in the Cuban Penal Code or the Military Penal Code.
Subsequently, the case evolved into a much more serious accusation related to espionage or "disclosure of secrets pertaining to State Security."
Article 116 of the Cuban Penal Code establishes that certain behaviors related to espionage may incur penalties ranging from 10 to 30 years in prison, life imprisonment, and even the death penalty, depending on the charges and the circumstances of the case.
Alongside Ceballos, Christian Rodríguez Riverón remains detained, a cameraman for Despingovery Channel who took part in the recording. Rodríguez Riverón is currently held at El Reloj Club in Boyeros, Havana, and is facing charges related to the same case.
"I am an artist, not a spy."
From prison, Ceballos has publicly denied the accusation.
At the beginning of August, he sent a letter in which he summarized his position with one phrase: "I am an artist, not a spy."
Cubalex reported at the end of July that the process exhibited "serious violations" and highlighted, among other points, that the family had not had access to the evidence supporting the accusation and that, after almost two months of imprisonment, the case had still not gone to trial.
With the decision communicated this Tuesday, Ceballos will remain in provisional detention. He has already been deprived of his freedom for more than two and a half months, with no public date set for the trial.
For her mother, understanding the precautionary measure is even more difficult given the seriousness of a crime like espionage and the absence, according to the family, of known evidence proving that Ceballos and Rodríguez acted as spies.
"I do not understand why the criminal case and the precautionary measure remain unchanged. If the suffering of a man and the pain of a family are not important in the legal field, then the fact of charging Eddy Ceballos and Cristian Rodriguez with such a serious crime as espionage without any evidence to support it even today should be," wrote Pérez Alfaro.
The family assures that they will continue to demand the release of both young individuals and to denounce the irregularities they attribute to the process.
"Because, in the end, truth and justice prevail, we will continue the fight for the rights of Eddy and Cristian," the mother concluded.
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