According to the independent organization Justicia 11J, the Cuban regime is still holding 554 individuals in custody for their involvement in the anti-government protests that erupted in July 2021 across numerous cities and towns in Cuba. These protests marked the largest demonstrations the nation has witnessed. In their third annual report, "Another Year Without Justice," which covers 2024, the NGO disclosed that out of 1,586 people arrested during the July 11 uprising, 554 — representing 35% — remain behind bars three years later, facing confirmed sentences that extend beyond 20 years.
Justicia 11J emphasized the systematic and structural nature of state repression on the island. This virtual report, released on Wednesday, also presents a statistical and evaluative analysis of protests occurring in Cuba from July 2023 to July 2024. The NGO highlighted that during the demonstrations on July 11 and 12, 2021, members of the Ministry of the Interior (Minint), supported by the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) and paramilitary groups known as Rapid Response Brigades, used armed violence against unarmed citizens.
Several individuals were injured during these nationwide protests, and in the La Güinera neighborhood of Havana, Diubis Laurencio Tejeda, aged 36, was fatally shot in the back by a police officer. Justicia 11J pointed out that the incarcerated protesters and their families have faced "hundreds of incidents violating their human rights, including various forms of harassment and repression."
The report also mourned the death of 11J protester Luis Barrios Díaz in state custody in November 2023. His death was attributed to the "denial of timely medical care" at El Pitirre "1580" prison in Havana, where he was serving a six-year sentence. The report detailed that, of the 554 individuals still detained relating to 11J, 93% are men (518) and 7% are women (36). Additionally, 12 were arrested at ages 17 and 18 and are now between 20 and 21; 383 are aged 22 to 45; 92 are between 46 and 59; and 13 are 60 or older.
The provinces with the highest number of incarcerated individuals include Havana (198), Matanzas (85), Artemisa (65), Mayabeque (58), and Santiago de Cuba (44), which coincides with areas where the most arrests were documented.
Justicia 11J highlighted that among those still imprisoned, a significant majority, 492 individuals or 89%, had no prior ties to any political organizations or civil society groups, nor were they involved with activist or human rights defense groups or independent media outlets.
Denial of Lesser Penalties and Conditional Release
The NGO reported that at least 36 individuals imprisoned for participating in anti-government protests have been denied the opportunity to transition to a less severe penitentiary regime; 15 have been refused parole, and four have been denied penal license. Additionally, four other 11J prisoners, including Dama de Blanco Saylí Navarro Álvarez held at the Matanzas women's prison "Bellotex," and Amauris Arrate Hernández at Mar Verde prison in Santiago de Cuba, were denied a 60-day sentence reduction for each year served.
Following subsequent protests to 11J, Justicia 11J documented the arrests of 488 individuals, with 144 still incarcerated. Between July 2023 and July 2024, at least 173 public protests occurred in Cuba, driven by "the ongoing systemic crisis in the country due to decades of poor state management" and "the unsustainability of the Communist Party of Cuba's totalitarian regime."
State Repression and Zero Tolerance
The NGO identified 44 incidents of repression during these protests, including "the invasion of special troops into homes, beatings, arrests, forced disappearances, the presence of patrols and other police forces to intimidate, threats of imprisonment, interrogation summons, internet disruptions, discrediting of protesters, water service cuts, acts of repudiation, and imposition of fines."
Throughout the period analyzed, at least 35 individuals were detained, with 27 still imprisoned. The organization noted that "the violence of state repressive organs to prevent dissent or criticism of government management affects all societal sectors and citizens." Furthermore, it concluded that the regime's response to protests from July 2023 to July 2024 "has demonstrated continued zero tolerance for demonstrations."
Camila Rodríguez, a representative of Justicia 11J, reported on Wednesday that they have counted 248 public protests in 2024, some of which have been substantial. According to their data, 16 were large-scale and 113 were group-based, reported by the Associated Press.
Recently, the NGO Prisoners Defenders reported that the number of political prisoners rose to 1,117 in October, following new arrests linked to peaceful protests in Cuba.