The Guantánamo Provincial Prosecutor's Office refused to accept an appeal filed by activist Yasser Ravelo Díaz against the fine imposed on him under Decree Law 370, which constitutes a clear violation of his fundamental rights.
On May 14, the activist was summoned to the Guantanamo Operations Unit, where he was fined for his social media posts and State Security officers threatened to imprison him. They told him he was neither self-employed nor a sociologist and that he was crazy. They tried to link him to the Cuban Shield movement and issued him a warning. Furthermore, an officer provoked him into a fight. This cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment is also a form of torture.
During the questioning, the investigating officer, who refused to identify herself, denied Yasser the ticket booklet for the fine. Despite numerous attempts, Yasser was finally able to obtain the booklet more than 20 days later. When the director of the Territorial Control Office (OTC) of the Ministry of Communications (MINCOM) finally gave him the booklet, she refused to accept his appeal, arguing that the deadline for filing it had passed.
It is important to note that Yasser attempted to file an appeal five times, and each time it was rejected with excuses such as the office being closed for repairs. Furthermore, the official informed Yasser that the deadline for filing the appeal was three business days, which is the general deadline for minor offenses, not the specific deadline for violations of Decree Law 370, which is 15 business days.
The general time limit for filing appeals against fines for infractions begins the day after the ticket book is issued, as established by Article 21 of Decree Law 99 of 1987. Therefore, the deadline began to run from the moment the official gave him the ticket book. Yasser included this information in the appeal and tried to file it again, but without success.
Finally, he went to the Prosecutor's Office, the body with the constitutional mandate to ensure compliance with the law, to report the violation and file the appeal within the legal term, but they also refused to receive and assist him.
This harassment of Yasser violates his rights to freedom of thought, conscience, and expression, compounded by the violation of his right to access justice, as stipulated in Articles 54 and 92 of the National Constitution. The actions of the authorities constitute multiple crimes under the Penal Code, including torture, abuse of power, and crimes against freedom of thought, conscience, and expression.