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CUBAN YOUTH LEADER SENTENCED TO 3 YEARS IMPRISONMENT
By Cuban Democratic Directorate

Cuban political prisoner and prisoner of conscience Julian Antonio Mones Borrero

Cuban political prisoner and prisoner of conscience Julian Antonio Mones Borrero

Baracoa. November 26, 2008. Cuban Democratic Directorate. Cuban political prisoner and prisoner of conscience Julián Antonio Monés Borrero was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment under charges of “offenses against authority” Wednesday afternoon, November 26, at the Municipal Tribunal in the city of Baracoa, located at 247 Marti Street, between Limbazo Sánchez and Roberto Reyes.

 

His wife, Matilde Duportal, stated that her husband’s innocence was made clear before those who witnessed the trial, and that she intended to appeal the ruling.

 

“It was demonstrated that he did not commit any offense, given that no witness who went there stated that they saw the young man [accusing Monés Borrero] identify himself as an Interior Ministry officer, or that Julián struck him any blow… It was demonstrated to the lawyer’s satisfaction as well, who demonstrated that there was even false testimony being given,” said Duportal in a telephone statement to the Cuban Democratic Directorate.

 

Monés Borrero was able to make statements of his own toward the end of the trial, and he took advantage of the opportunity to discredit contradictory aspects of his accuser’s testimony.

 

“The young man said that Julián had hit him on his right check, and then later he said that his left check was reddened… At the end when they told [Julián] to make a statement, he was able to say that nobody who is struck on the right check, the left is the one that becomes reddened,” related Duportal.

 

Activists on the island condemned the decision, characterizing it is yet another violation of human rights in Cuba.

 

“On behalf of our organization, we declare that we condemn this arbitrary measure taken by Guantánamo province authorities,” stated Rolando Rodríguez Lobaina, coordinator of the Eastern Democratic Alliance.

 

Monés Borrero had been arbitrarily imprisoned since September 30, 2008. He led a hunger strike for 43 days, beginning the same day of his unjust arrest, risking his life to demand his release.

 

Strong repressive measures were taken by the Castro regime leading up to the trial. Beginning the night before, a series of operations were carried out to prevent human rights activists from attending the trial.

 

“Once more we see the lying, deceptive, unethical, and cowardly conduct of State Security when it comes to a political trial. [I denounce] the amount of arrests and the coersion against the activists here in Baracoa,” stated Néstor Rodríguez Lobaina, president of the Cuban Youth Movement for Democracy, who was able to avoid an operation directed against him.

 

Several activists are now detained, under house arrest, or assumed to be detained at unknown locations. State Security and National Revolutionary Police officers detained activists Roberto Ortiz and Francisco Manzanés on Tuesday night, November 25, according to Rodolfo Barthelemy Cobas, Eastern coordinator for the Citizen Committee against Mistreatment.

 

Keyber Rodríguez Fernández, president of the John Paul II Pro Human Rights Movement, was detained in the morning of Wednesday, November 26 according to his wife, who reported the facts to Barthelemy Cobas. Cobas also reported that he is under house arrest and under strict surveillance.

 

Monés Borrero, a resident of the city of Baracoa, Guantánamo province, was physically attacked on September 27 this year by an agent dressed in civilian clothing, who beat him for wearing a white t-shirt with the word “CHANGE”.

 

After hurricane Ike devasted many parts of Baracoa, Monés Borrero was one of the many human rights activists who denounced all abuses by the police against the affected by the hurricane. He also denounced the lack of humanitarian assistance by the authorities in the Easter region of the island. Monés Borrero is the president of the Miguel Valdés Tamayo Human Rights Movement in Cuba.

 

 

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