The Executive Secretariat of Cubalex is threatened with arrest for demanding respect for the law and its rights.
Havana, Cuba, March 17, 2016 - On the evening of March 15, 2016, Yamara Rodríguez Curbelo, Executive Secretary of our organization, was officially required to appear before the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) on the morning of March 17 for an interview regarding her human rights work.
The official summons lacked the signature of the Court Clerk, as required by the Criminal Procedure Law. This official is responsible for ensuring that citizens are not unnecessarily harassed. However, in practice, no authority complies with this legal requirement.
Yamara was threatened by the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) with arrest if she did not appear at the hearing. The Cubalex lawyer stated that she would not attend because she did not meet the legal requirements.
This is the third time Yamala has been harassed through this legal process., which constitutes a means to repress and harass human rights defenders and prevent them from exercising their right to freely express their opinions, meet and associate.
On April 22, 2015, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights requested the Cuban State, through the adoption of Precautionary Measure No. 96-15, to adopt the necessary measures to preserve the life and personal integrity of the members of Cubalex and allow them to carry out their work as human rights defenders without being subjected to harassment.
Given this new situation, we demand that the Cuban government guarantee and protect the freedom and personal security of Yamara Rodríguez Curbelo and her human rights work. At the same time, we call on the international community to speak out in her favor.
We urge law enforcement officials to fulfill their duties and serve the community by protecting all people against illegal acts, in accordance with the high degree of responsibility required by their profession.
We remind the Cuban State that on May 1, 2013, it underwent a Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and constructively accepted and voluntarily committed to implementing 25[1] recommendations related to the review and adoption of new standards, and the development of measures that improve its system for promoting and protecting human rights, without politicized criteria regarding them.
It also committed to expanding the institutional legal framework and harmonizing its internal national legislation, so that all people can enjoy the broadest possible enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, in accordance with the international instruments on the matter to which the Cuban State is a party.
About Cubalex
The Cubalex Legal Information Center is headquartered in Havana, Cuba. We are a non-profit organization comprised of lawyers and human rights activists. We offer free legal advice on housing legalization, immigration procedures, inheritance matters, labor issues, criminal review processes, constitutional procedures, and the defense of civil and political rights, both nationally and internationally, to Cuban citizens and foreigners upon request.
For any questions, you can contact us via email. [email protected] or by phone at (537) 7 647-2216 or (+535)-241-5948
[1] The 25 recommendations were formulated by the following countries: United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Serbia, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Belarus, Bhutan, China, Nigeria, Panama, Ukraine, Democratic Republic of Congo, Plurinational State of Bolivia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Nepal, Syrian Arab Republic, Algeria, Turkmenistan, Bahrain, Cambodia, Botswana, Islamic Republic of Iran.