The Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH) demanded the immediate release of political prisoner from the 11J José Ramón Solano Randiche, who is serving a 13-year sentence at the "Cuba Sí" prison in Holguín, and is currently subjected to a more severe regime that was supposed to end in mid-October.
The report, published by the OCDH on the social network X, includes the testimony of his wife, Liuba María Gallo Plácido, who alerted Martí Noticias that the prison authorities have not lifted the disciplinary punishment despite the fact that the deadline has already passed.
"Although the disciplinary punishment imposed on him was supposed to end in mid-October, the prison authorities have not restored him to his previous regime," Gallo Plácido reported.
The chain of reprisals against Solano Randiche began on July 14, 2026, when the administration of the Holguín Provincial Prison abruptly suspended the scheduled passes for his detachment, preventing him from being with his family on the birthday of his young son.
By claiming his rights, the military commanders revoked his correctional facility with internment and imposed six months of maximum severity confinement.
In response, the prisoner began a hunger strike that lasted several weeks and left him in critical condition: after 23 days without food, according to Cubalex, he was in a solitary cell without a mattress, experiencing severe weakness and difficulty speaking, exacerbated by pre-existing asthma and allergies.
His wife confirmed that he lost 20 kilograms during the protest, dropping from 81 to 60 kilos.
The Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and the Press (ICLEP) also documented that the prison denied the religious assistance requested by his mother and confiscated his Bible.
During that period, State Security agents threatened Gallo Plácido with reprisals against the prisoner for making his complaints public.
Solano Randiche ended his hunger strike on August 14 after successfully negotiating the reduction of his sentence from six to three months, with the time counted retroactively from July 16, which places the end of the punishment around mid-October.
However, that deadline has already passed and the conditions of the prisoner have not changed, according to reports from his family.
Solano Randiche was sentenced for his involvement in the July 11, 2021 protests in Holguín, where 20 protesters received sentences ranging from five to 20 years for sedition, including five minors.
The prosecutor requested 30 years of imprisonment for him; he was initially sentenced to 18 years, and the penalty was reduced to 13 after the appeal.
Human rights organizations point out that the sentences for the events of 11J are 34 times harsher than those imposed on the assailants of Moncada in 1953.
The case is part of a documented pattern of prison reprisals: Cubalex recorded 95 individuals subjected to isolation or punitive cells during 2026, with 18 incidents occurring just in October.
According to Prisoners Defenders, Cuba holds more than 1,200 political prisoners in 2026, including hundreds of protesters from 11J.
"From the OCDH, we demand the cessation of these arbitrary measures, guarantees for his physical integrity, and the immediate release of José Ramón Solano Randiche," concluded the organization in its statement.
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