On Wednesday, the European Union (EU) expressed concern about the prison sentences being imposed in Cuba for participants in the July 11 and 12 protests against the regime, which in its view reflected “legitimate demands” that were “answered with repression.”
“After a series of harsh sentences already announced, on March 16, 2022, the Cuban Supreme Court issued another 128 convictions against people, some of whom were under 18 at the time of their arrest, which can reach the age of 30,” said the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, in a statement on behalf of the Twenty-Seven.
“These sentences are disproportionate,” he said, recalling that the protests resulted in more than 1,400 people arrested and 790 accused.
Borrell stated that, although the right to demonstrate is guaranteed in the Cuban Constitution, “this use of judicial procedures and such verdicts serve to deny Cuban citizens the right to express their views peacefully and demand change.”
“The right to express dissent and to protest should be guaranteed and protected in Cuba,” he stressed.
For Borrell, these trials raise significant concerns in relation to the basic principles and international standards of transparency and due process, such as the right of defendants to be represented by independent counsel of their own choosing. “The EU calls on the Cuban authorities to allow the diplomatic community to attend trials,” he said.
In addition, the European Union urged the Cuban authorities to respect the civil and political rights of the Cuban people, including freedom of association, peaceful assembly and expression.
In this context, he recalled the cases of citizens, reporters and journalists who have been arrested, charged and convicted in connection with the events of 11 and 12 July.
He also called on the Cuban authorities to release “all political prisoners and those detained solely for having exercised their freedom of peaceful assembly and expression.”
He also noted that the EU “has constantly encouraged the Cuban Government to pay attention to the concerns of its people and to engage in meaningful and inclusive dialogue on its legitimate grounds for complaint, and will continue to do so.”
“The European Union recalls the importance of the ongoing exchanges on this issue with the Cuban authorities,” he said, and made it clear that it is ready to “support all efforts aimed at protecting, promoting and implementing the human rights and freedoms of all Cubans”, within the framework of the political dialogue and cooperation agreement which it has signed with Cuba.
(With information from EFE)
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