The Cuban influencer Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente, just 21 years old and known as Anna Bensi, made a strong statement this Thursday morning before entering the court in Havana, where the regime intends to judge her along with her mother, Caridad Silvente.
“It’s not fair, it’s not fair, none of us are criminals,” the young woman stated emphatically.
The statements were recorded by the activist Alfredito Fominaya in front of the People's Municipal Court of East Havana, in Cojímar.
A phone is not a weapon
Anna Bensi was straightforward in explaining why she considers the process she faces alongside her mother to be unjust.
" We are simply expressing through a screen, which is not a weapon, it is a phone, what we think," he said.
"We do not agree with the political system of our country, we do not agree with how the internal affairs of our country are handled, they are wrong, and that is not a crime.", he added.
When asked about the solution, he responded without hesitation: “Cuba should be free. In change. We want a change.”
Days earlier, the young woman had already expressed her stance: “I will not be silent”, and she stated that she would re-record the video that initiated the entire process.
The origin of the case
The process began in March of this year when Anna Bensi and her mother recorded and posted on social media the visit of a subordinate from the Ministry of the Interior (MININT), identified as Yoel Leodán Rabaza Ramos, who arrived dressed in civilian clothes at their home in Alamar carrying a summons from State Security.
The authorities accused them of "acts against personal and family privacy" under Article 393 of the Cuban Penal Code, a provision that allows for penalties of two to five years in prison.
Since March 25, mother and daughter have been under house arrest with a ban on leaving the country.
The case was initially filed after the defense attorney Roberto Ortega Ortiz indicated that the criminal charge required a direct complaint.
Agent Rabaza Ramos personally submitted the complaint, and the process was reactivated.
A judge with a history in the 11-J
The process is presided over by Judge Zamira Marrero Morgado, noted by activists for her involvement in the 11-J trials.
Marrero Morgado was part of the tribunal that ruled on one of the cases against 129 protesters from July 11, where sentences of up to 30 years for sedition were requested.
The defense unsuccessfully attempted to have the judge dismiss the case.
Repressive operation and closed room
The regime has deployed a extensive operation this Thursday to prevent activists and journalists from approaching the court.
The Christian activist David Espinosa Martínez, 38 years old, was arrested and reportedly taken to La Lisa to prevent him from attending.
The young people from the group Fuera de la Caja were besieged in their homes, and journalists such as Yoani Sánchez and Camila Costa are under surveillance. Public access to the room was not allowed.
The activist Carolina Barrero, leader of Ciudadanía y Libertad and exiled in Spain, summed up the operation with a phrase: "Accompanying is not a crime. Informing is not either."
Meanwhile, the Revolutionary National Police (PNR) took to social media to defend the process under the account "Heroes in Blue in Cuba," arguing that "social media is not a lawless territory," and that "it is not the act of recording that is judged, but the non-consensual dissemination of the image."
In recent hours, the case has sparked a wave of support that brought together artists, influencers, and religious organizations in support of mother and daughter.
The Cuban singer La Diosa urged people to flood the networks: “You, even if you have three followers, it's important that you talk about this.”
The Baptist Convention of Western Cuba declared: "We cannot, we do not want to, and we will not leave them alone."
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