MADRID.- The Cubalex platform, an organization of independent lawyers, registered 100 hunger strikes in Cuba during 2023, of which 70 were carried out by political prisoners. It is a practice that has gained ground as a protest measure among the most vulnerable population.
Six women and 94 men were the protagonists of the hunger strikes, of which, five women and 65 men are behind bars for political reasons, according to records compiled by the organization.
Cubalex, reveals that the hunger strike It has international recognition as a method of protest, however, for the Cuban regime it is a serious infraction stipulated in prison laws.
Cuban legislation, specifically the Criminal Execution Law and the Regulations of the Penitentiary System, establishes a hierarchy of disciplinary violations that range from the most serious to the minor, defining indiscipline as any action or omission that contravenes the rules established for inmates. review the web portal CubaNet.
The punishment of the hunger strike in Cuba
In Cuba, refusing to eat food as a form of protest can result in disciplinary sanctions, although the practice is defended internationally as a legitimate means of claiming rights. The Disciplinary Council is the entity in charge of deciding on cases of indiscipline, including hunger strikes, review Cubalex.
Among the opponents and political prisoners who carried out hunger strikes last year were the artivist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Guillermo “Coco” FariñasJosé Daniel Ferrer and several of those imprisoned by 11J.
Internationally, the hunger strike is recognized as a protest act and an essential human right, supported by various legal instruments that safeguard freedom of expression and the right to lodge complaints.
During the month of January, 13 new political prisoners were counted in Cuba, for a total of 1,066 political prisoners and prisoners of conscience currently on the island, the NGO Prisoners Defenders reported this Wednesday, adding that the processes of these people are characterized by lack of judicial guarantees and due process.
Prisoners Defenders added that in the last 12 months – from February 1, 2023 to January 31, 2024 – 170 new political prisoners were added to its list, an average of more than 14 each month. “This means that throughout these 12 months a total of 1,236 political prisoners were present on the list,” the NGO said in a statement published on its website.
Source: WRITING
