Urgent Call to Preserve the Lives of the Strikers Concentrated in Movimiento San Isidro’s Headquarters

We, therefore, urge Cuban authorities to act in accordance with their obligation to preserve the life and health, and safety of the 14 activists at the MSI headquarters since November 16, demanding the release of the musician Denis Solis González.

On November 9, 2020, Denis Solís González was brutally detained by agents of the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) in the Habana Vieja municipality, a few blocks from his home. Since then, there has been no communication with the musician, and attempts to gather information on his whereabouts through official channels were unsuccessful. According to international standards, Solís González has been forcibly disappeared.

Upon arrest, the acting agents failed to present a valid arrest warrant, inform Solis Gonzalez of his charges, and instruct him on his rights as a defendant.

As detailed in the judicial order in response to the Habeas Corpus filed on November 10, he was sentenced in under 72 hours to eight months of deprivation of liberty for the crime of "contempt" without receiving the most basic guarantees of due process. Additionally, on November 11, he was transferred to the maximum-security prison in Valle Grande.

Between November 10 and 18, there have been 34 arbitrary arrests of 20 individuals documented, alongside surveillance operations intended to prevent free movement and internet service blocks for artists, activists, and journalists peacefully demonstrating for the release of Denis Solís. The various peaceful protests demanding the release of the musician have resulted in an escalation of violence.

Since November 16, approximately 14 activists, artists, and journalists have congregated at the MSI headquarters, under siege from state security forces. At first, MSI was barred access. In response, they organized a poetic reading at the headquarters. Later, following the theft of their food, a few activists began a hunger strike. Finally, a substance that they suspect is hydrochloric acid, was thrown onto the door and roof of the headquarters, damaging their water supply.

It is important to highlight the information lockdown that has been implemented. Journalists and activists in solidarity with MSI have been prevented from leaving their homes for at least nine days. There have also been attacks on foreign press and arrests of independent journalists, who on November 22, sought to cover the demonstrations and/or meetings organized throughout the central parks of Havana.

Given the facts presented, the undersigned organizations urgently call upon the Cuban government to allow the International Red Cross entry so they can respond to the request for assistance MSI has issued over the past two days.

We also demand that the Cuban government declare the criminal proceedings against Denis Solis González void and proceed with his immediate release. We hope they respond to the call for dialogue from members of Movimiento San Isidro in order to protect the lives of the activists.

We also demand that the government allow citizens to exercise their right to peacefully protest and that the harassment and digital interference against those who participate in or carry out journalistic coverage of these events cease. It is indefensible, that the Cuban State, recently elected to occupy a place on the United Nations Human Rights Council, should engage in this type of systematic infraction of human rights in flagrant violation of all relevant international agreements and standards.

We also demand that the High Commissioner of the United Nations, Michelle Bachelet, condemn the multiple human rights violations perpetrated by agents of the Cuban State against the people engaging in legitimate protest at the Movimiento San Isidro headquarters.

We call on embassies, the European Union, and the special procedures of the United Nations and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, to firmly communicate to the Cuban State their condemnation and concern regarding these events, and urge it to assume its obligations to guarantee and protect human rights, especially as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

 SIGNATURES

International Civil Society Organizations

Acceso a la Justicia

Article 19 Oficina para México y Centroamérica

Asociación de Periodismo Investigativo (Abraji), Brasil

Cultura Democrática, Argentina

CADAL, Argentina

Centro de Justicia y Paz (Cepaz)

Centro de Acción y Defensa por los DDHH (CADEF), Venezuela

Civil Rights Defenders, Suecia

Defiende Venezuela

Diálogo por la democracia - Nicaragua

Demos, Guatemala

Extituto de Politica Abierta

Freedom House, EEUU

Foro Penal, Venezuela

Forum 2000 Foundation

Fundamedios, Ecuador

Fundación Ciudadanía y Desarrollo, Ecuador

Fundación Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, Nicaragua

Gobierno y Análisis Político AC, México

Instituto de Prensa y Sociedad, Perú

International society for human Rights

Justicia, Encuentro y Perdón, Venezuela

Movimiento por la libertad de Expresión

Observatorio de Libertad Académica (OLA)

People in Need, República Checa

People in Need, Eslovaquia

Programa Cuba de la Universidad Sergio Arboleda, Colombia

Programa Venezolano de Educación-Acción en Derechos Humanos (Provea)

Prisoners Defenders, España

Primero Guatemala

PEN Internacional

Un Mundo Sin Mordaza, Venezuela

A.C Consorcio, Desarrollo y Justicia

A.C. Generación Activa Venezuela

Fundación Nacional de Estudios Jurídicos políticos y Sociales. (Funejps)

Federación Venezolana de estudiantes de Ciencias Políticas. (Fevecipol)

Federación de Estudiantes de educación media. (Feneem)

Asociación Cultural AV Kreativhaus e.V - Alemania

Regional Organizations

Alianza Regional por la Libre Expresión e Información

DemoAmlat

Red Latinoamericana y del Caribe para la Democracia (REDLAD)

Red Latinoamericana de Jóvenes por la Democracia (JuventudLAC)

IFEX-ALC

Voces del Sur

Cuban Civil Society Organizations

Alianza Cubana por la Inclusión

Alianza Democrática Pinareña Vueltabajo por Cuba.

Asociación Civil Crecer en Libertad

Asociación Jurídica Cubana

Asociación Cubana para la Divulgación del Islam

Asociación Sindical Independiente de Cuba

Asociación Pro Libertad de Prensa

Center for a Free Cuba

Centro de Estudios Convivencia

Centro PEN de Escritores Cubanos en el Exilio

Club de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba

Comité de Ciudadanos por la Integración Racial (CIR)

Colegio de Pedagogos Independientes de Cuba (CPIC)

Centro Estudios Liderazgo y Desarrollo

Comunidad Judía Bnei Anusim de Cuba

Confederación Obrera Nacional Independiente de Cuba (CONIC)

Cubalex

Cuba Independiente y Democrática (CID)

Damas de Blanco

Democuba

Directorio Democrático Cubano

Monitor Legislativo Cubano

Libertad Cuba Lab

Grupo Demongeles

Grupo Anima

Fundación para la Democracia Panamericana

Fundación Nacional Cubano Americana

La Maleza

Libertad Cuba Lab

Instituto de Activismo Hannah Arendt

Instituto Cubano por la Libertad de Expresión y Prensa - ICLEP

Instituto Patmos

Instituto La Rosa Blanca

Iglesia Misionera en Cuba

Movimiento Apostólico“Viento Recio”

Movimiento Ciudadano Reflexión y Reconciliación (MCRR)

Movimiento Opositores por una Nueva República

Mesa de Diálogo de la Juventud Cubana

Mujeres Democristianas de Cuba

Observatorio Cubano de Derechos Humanos

Palabra Abierta

Proyecto Demócrata Cubano (PRODECU)

Partido Arco Progresista

Partido Autónomo Pinero

Partido Pedro Luis Boitel

Partido Demócrata Cristiano de Cuba

Plataforma Independiente para el Desarrollo Universitario

Puente a la Vista

Red Femenina de Cuba

Red de Líderes y Lideresas Comunitarios (RELLIC)

Somos +

Solidaridad Trabajadores de Cuba

Talento Cubano

Unión Patriótica de Cuba (UNPACU)

Mujer a Mujer

Independent Media

Hypermedia

El Estornudo

Yucabyte

ADN Cuba

Rialta

Cubanet

CiberCuba

Cubs Inside

Diario de Cuba

14yMedio

ADN Cuba

Inventario

Mujercitos Magazine

La Hora de Cuba

Play-Off Magazine

VPItv - Venezolanos por la información

Radio Viva 24

Árbol invertido

Alas tensas

Palabra Abierta

OtroLunes - Revista Hispanoamericana de Cultura

Havana Times

Activists and Citizens

Hildebrando Chaviano

Roberto González

Rafael Almanza

Hilda Molina

Boris González Arenas

Mauricio Mendoza Navarro

Anay Remón García

Marta María Ramirez

Claudia Patricia Pérez Olivera

Víctor Fernández

Yamilka Lafita Cancio

Enrico Mosca Díaz

Miriam Herrera

Orlando Luis Pardo

Manuel Alberto Morejón Soler

Martha Beatriz Roque

Roberto de Jesús Quiñones Haces

Guillermo del Sol Pérez

José Gabriel Barrenechea Chávez

Raudel García Bringas

Bárbaro La Nuez Ramírez

Severiano Ramírez Díaz

Pedro Ramírez Díaz

Soraya Quijano Silva

Yerdlim Verá Perdomo

Yadira Frontela Bacallao

Tomás Álvarez García

Wilfredo Álvarez García

Miguel Coba García

Enrique Coba García

Ramón Rafael González Pentón

Yokendri Rico Arrea

Yoslovy Piñol Morra

Bárbaro Piñol Morfa

Lía VIllares

María Matienzo

José Raúl Gallego

Jorge Enrique Rodríguez

Amir Valle

Juan Omar Fierro

Hilda Landrove