The independent journalist Yoani Sánchez, founder and director of the digital newspaper 14ymedio, was released this Thursday after being held for nine hours in custody by State Security in Havana, and the regime accuses her of “attacking the constitutional order”.
The release was confirmed by the newspaper directed by Sánchez, which reported that the journalist had been intercepted around 9:30 AM this Thursday as she was leaving her home in Nuevo Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución municipality, to shop at a nearby market.
The communicator had informed her coworkers that she would step out briefly and return soon. However, about ten minutes later, she managed to send a message alerting them to what was happening.
“The police kidnapped me”, Sánchez wrote before her colleagues lost contact with her.
During the following hours, her whereabouts were unknown, and the authorities did not provide public information about the reasons for the arrest. Her husband, journalist Reinaldo Escobar, who was in Madrid, initially confirmed the arrest through Facebook.
"Yoani Sánchez has been detained by State Security today in Havana," announced Escobar.
According to testimonies from neighbors collected by 14ymedio, a State Security agent who goes by the name Bruno had been seen lurking around the lower levels of the building where the journalist lives at the time of the arrest.
After regaining his freedom, Sánchez revealed that the authorities had charged him with an alleged crime of attempting against the constitutional order.
So far, no details have been released regarding the evidence used to support that accusation or about the existence of a formal criminal proceeding against him.
The journalist also confirmed on her Facebook profile that she was already at home and thanked those who mobilized to report her arrest.
“I just got home, thank you all for the solidarity and for spreading the news about the arbitrary detention I suffered this morning. That support was what managed to unlock the doors and lift the bars,” he wrote.
Sánchez announced that this Friday he will provide more details about what happened, but he hinted that his main focus will be to recount what he witnessed during the hours he was in police custody.
"Tomorrow I will provide more details about what happened, but above all, I will share what I saw in those detention centers: as a journalist, I will narrate the pain and the complete lack of protection in which those without public visibility live; sometimes, they don't even have a mobile phone to report what is happening to them," he expressed.
“I have a duty to make their stories public,” she added, clarifying that she will dedicate her next testimony to the individuals who are detained and lack public attention and resources to report their experiences.
The news of his arrest prompted reactions from international human rights and press freedom organizations, as well as from representatives of the U.S. government.
The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Juan Pablo Segura, condemned the detention of Sánchez and linked it to a campaign against independent journalism in Cuba.
"The detention of Cuban journalist Yoani Sánchez this morning is part of the Cuban regime's sustained campaign to crush independent journalism," the official declared.
Segura also mentioned the recent arrests of journalists Adelth Bonne Gamboa and Camila Acosta, as well as the imprisonment of Henry Constantín, director of La Hora de Cuba.
“The Cuban regime shows its cowardice by resorting to arbitrary detentions because it fears the truth,” asserted the U.S. representative.
Reporters Without Borders also condemned what occurred and described Sánchez's detention as a “attack on independent journalism on the Island”.
The organization had demanded that the Cuban authorities provide information about her whereabouts, ensure her safety, and proceed with her release.
Amnesty International and the Inter-American Press Association joined the expressions of rejection.
For its part, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) strongly condemned the arrest and warned about the increase in repressive actions against reporters working outside the control of the Cuban government.
"His detention is part of a broader repression against independent journalists," noted José Zamora, regional director of CPJ for the Americas.
The organization urged the authorities to put an end to this type of arrest and to allow communicators to carry out their work without fear of retaliation.
The incident occurred during a week marked by several arrests of independent journalists in Cuba.
On Monday, police officers arrested Adelth Bonne Gamboa, a collaborator of CubaNet, who was later released after being fined, having his work equipment confiscated, and being warned about potential criminal consequences.
On Tuesday, Camila Acosta, a journalist for CubaNet and correspondent for the Spanish newspaper ABC, was also arrested while she was in a public area. According to her report, she was handcuffed, taken to a police station, and held for several hours.
After his release, Acosta reported that the authorities had disabled his mobile phone and handed him a warning document for having spread images of a State Security agent who had previously prevented him from leaving his home.
Meanwhile, Henry Constantín has been imprisoned since September in Kilo 7 prison in Camagüey, charged with disobedience.
For years, Yoani Sánchez has been a victim of harassment. In January, she was intercepted by State Security agents while heading to a U.S. diplomatic reception and was forced to return to her home.
In March, an agent in plain clothes prevented her from leaving her building without identifying himself or presenting a legal order. In September, she was also confined to her home to stop her from attending an event at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana.
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