Cuban Government Hands Down Prison Sentences to Bayamo Protesters Ranging from Three to Nine Years

In a recent move to suppress dissent, the Cuban government sentenced 15 individuals who took part in a peaceful demonstration on March 17, 2024, in Bayamo. These protesters received prison terms ranging from three to nine years, as decreed by the Municipal People's Court in this eastern Cuban city. This judgment marks yet another instance of the regime's ongoing efforts to criminalize the right to protest on the island.

The Provincial People's Court of Granma issued a statement revealing that eight of the defendants were sentenced to between six and nine years in prison, while five others faced sentences of three to five years. Additionally, two individuals were punished with corrective labor without confinement. The court charged them with "public disorder, assault, resistance, contempt, disobedience, and incitement to commit a crime," which are common accusations in the regime's political trials.

The court emphasized that the defendants had threatened "citizen stability and security." It also claimed that "procedural guarantees and the right to defense" were upheld during the trial, a claim that starkly contrasts with reports from human rights organizations that describe these trials as sham proceedings intended to instill fear.

Trial Amidst Repression

The trial commenced on Tuesday, September 16, and lasted four days, occurring over a year after hundreds of Bayamo residents took to the streets, chanting "Freedom," "Homeland and Life," and "Down with the Dictatorship" in response to power outages, food shortages, and the collapse of essential services. The day concluded with violent beatings and mass arrests by political police and special forces, as captured in numerous videos circulated on social media.

Initially, 16 individuals were charged, with 13 held in provisional detention for months and three subject to restrictive measures. Ultimately, 15 defendants faced trial. The prosecution even leveled charges of unlawful possession of weapons, though no clear evidence was presented to support this claim.

A Repeated Pattern of Repression

The state-run newspaper Granma reported on the trial, labeling the peaceful protests as "disturbances." Independent journalist José Raúl Gallego criticized the publication for its intimidation tactics, stating, "They know the situation is causing new uprisings, like the one in Gibara on September 13. This shows how the official press is part of the mechanisms of repression."

Gallego emphasized the importance of identifying judges, prosecutors, and witnesses involved in these processes to document them as accountable for human rights violations. "Imprisoning a person for exercising their right to protest is a violation for which they will have to answer someday," he asserted.

The March 2024 Bayamo protests are not an isolated incident. In May of this year, the city once again took to the streets following prolonged power outages, and just over a week ago, Gibara residents staged demonstrations for over 24 hours due to a lack of electricity. The regime's response has been consistent: nighttime arrests and the threat of summary trials and lengthy prison sentences.

As social unrest grows, so does the repression. The Bayamo verdict reaffirms that in Cuba, peacefully protesting remains a criminal act.