A new ruling from the Provincial People's Court (TPP) of Las Tunas explains The continued use of the judicial system in Cuba to persecute and punish political dissent. Sentence No. 10 of 2026, issued by this court, imposed prison terms of between seven and eight years on individuals in Cuba. These individuals are Javier Reyes Peña, Maikel Hill Ramírez, Guillermo Carralero López, Carlos Manuel Santiesteban Saavedra, Carlos Alberto McDonald Ennis, Enrique González Infante, Pedro Carlos Camacho Ochoa, and Adisbel Mendoza Barroso, all members of the opposition movement Cuba Primero.
The TPP found them guilty of committing the crime of propaganda against the constitutional order, one of the most frequently used to suppress freedom of expression on the island.
Initially, the prosecution had requested sentences of between 6 and 9 years in prison. The trial took place on June 30 at the Las Tunas Provincial Prison, known as El Típico, after more than two years in pretrial detention following their arrests in March and April 2024. case of Carlos Alberto McDonald Ennis, who is in critical health condition, was released on bail last June.
Guillermo Carralero López was sentenced to 8 years in prison, while Javier Reyes Peña, Maikel Hill Ramírez, Carlos Manuel Santiesteban Saavedra, Carlos Alberto McDonald Ennis, Enrique González Infante, Pedro Carlos Camacho Ochoa and Adisbel Mendoza Barroso received sentences of 7 years each.
The facts and the legal analysis
An examination of the content of Judgment No. 10 of 2026 shows that the crime committed by these individuals consisted of recording videos, possessing printed pamphlets, and publishing opinions critical of the government's actions on social media platforms such as Facebook. However, to justify such severe prison sentences, the court classified these expressions of civic responsibility as acts contrary to the Cuban constitutional order. From the perspective of international human rights standards, this case presents serious legal and procedural irregularities.
- Criminalization of political thought: based on the provisions of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) The right to freedom of expression is protected through any means, such as social media posts or other platforms. Therefore, publicly expressing disagreement with a government or distributing printed materials with opposing views cannot be considered a crime or a threat to national security.
- Disproportionate use of criminal law: as happens with habitual In Cuba, sentencing citizens to nearly a decade in prison for recording videos or handling digital content violates the principles of necessity and proportionality. The Cuban Penal Code is widely used to transform any form of protest into a threat to state sovereignty. In reality, this is an institutionalized practice by Cuban authorities to repress human rights activists and political opponents, as well as to send a inhibitory message against social protest in the country.
- Lack of impartiality and procedural guarantees: The Las Tunas TPP court ruling prioritizes arguments ideological and classifies dissent as a criminal activity. Furthermore, although the sentence itself mentions mental health conditions in some of the defendants, the authorities ignored these conditions as grounds for protection or alternatives to imprisonment, applying a uniform punitive treatment.
- Annulment of civil rights: In addition to imprisonment, the court stripped those sanctioned of their right to vote, prohibited them from holding public office, confiscated their personal belongings, such as cell phones, and barred them from obtaining passports. In the Cuban context, this is almost equivalent to civil death aimed at disqualifying them from holding public office. political life for as long as possible, even after the prison sentence has been served.
As with several cases recently reported by Cubalex, the analysis of Sentence No. 10 of 2026 shows that the continued use of criminal law in Cuba remains a mechanism of intimidation and punishment against citizens who attempt to exercise their freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly.
Cubalex demands the release of Javier Reyes Peña, Maikel Hill Ramírez, Guillermo Carralero López, Carlos Manuel Santiesteban Saavedra, Carlos Alberto McDonald Ennis, Enrique González Infante, Pedro Carlos Camacho Ochoa and Adisbel Mendoza Barroso, the cessation of the repression of human rights in Cuba and the adoption of the corresponding measures against the officials involved in this process.