SAN LUIS POTOSI.- The former Cuban judge who requested political asylum in the United States, Melody Gonzalez Pedrazajustified his decision to sentence four young people who participated in the protests, for being under alleged pressure and threats from the Cuban regime.
Gonzalez Pedraza expressed to Cubanet She was forced to pass sentence based solely on the confession of one of the accused. “It is very difficult for people today to understand that I think differently, and it is very difficult to defend myself, because I have no physical evidence in my hands,” she said.
The young people face sentences for accusations of allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at state property.
According to the former judge, she was subjected to intense pressure from local authorities and State Security officials to keep the young people in preventive detention. Likewise, she described how she was visited at her workplace by senior officials of the court and State Security, who, according to her, gave her precise and threatening instructions to ensure that the accusations remained valid.
“On April 18 and 23, I received a visit at my workplace, an inspection by the president of the Provincial Court and the president of the Security Chamber. They gave me precise instructions; I argued that the Defense attorneys had presented a group of important evidence, especially witnesses. But the order I received was that those from the Prosecutor’s Office were sufficient and had more value. It was necessary to maintain the provisional prison and punish them,” said González Pedraza.
The former judge also mentioned specific incidents of intimidation, including visits from State Security officials who, she said, explicitly threatened her with retaliation if she did not comply with the Cuban regime’s guidelines. These experiences, she claimed, led to a significant deterioration in her mental and physical health during that period.
Despite her former membership in the Communist Party and her position as an official in the Cuban judicial system, the former judge decided to seek political asylum in the United States for fear of possible continued reprisals and the inability to practice her profession with integrity in Cuba.
“I am aware that it is difficult to be seen as a victim. For several years I practiced that profession and lived hidden behind the shell that the Cuban Government forced me to put on,” commented González Pedraza.
His request for political asylum is based on the perception that the Cuban judicial system is controlled and manipulated by the regime for its own interests, a fact that, he maintains, seriously limits the independence and impartiality of judges on the island. González Pedraza hopes that his testimony and the evidence presented in his case will demonstrate a “credible fear” of US authorities, which would justify his need for international protection.
The next step for the woman will be her court hearing in the United States, where she will seek to persuade judges of the validity of her asylum claim, facing the challenge of changing public perception about her previous role within the Cuban judicial system.
Source: With information from Cubanet
