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Cuban plainclothes police officers arrest an anti-government demonstrator in Havana (July 2021)
Photo: Ramon Espinosa/AP
On July 12, 2021, Luis Frómeta Compte took to the streets to buy some rum.
The 59-year-old German-Cuban with dual citizenship, who has lived in Dresden for almost four decades, was visiting his sister Virgen Frómeta in the Cuban capital, Havana.
On his way to the store, he saw an anti-government demonstration and made a momentous decision: he joined the protests and filmed the events.
Five days later, plainclothes police officers showed up at the sister's house and arrested Luis Frómeta.
In December, a court sentenced him to 25 years in prison for "inciting riots," according to the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) at the time.
The verdict leaves his sister Virgen Frómeta in despair to this day.
"I demand the immediate release of my brother," she recently told the AFP news agency with tears.
»Nobody overthrows a revolution unarmed, just by talking, demonstrating, by saying things that don't suit you or by filming, nobody«.
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728 people in custody
During the nationwide protests in July 2021, thousands of Cubans demonstrated against the government.
Violent clashes broke out with security forces, one person died and dozens were injured.
According to the Miami-based non-governmental organization Cubalex, 1,395 people were arrested.
728 remain in detention.
In March, 128 Cubans were sentenced to between six and 30 years in prison.
Prosecutors claimed that some demonstrators wanted to provoke "a US military intervention."
Three siblings convicted
The convicts also include the three siblings Yosney Emilio (25), Mackyani Yosney (23) and Emy Yoslan (18).
They were sentenced to twelve and seven years in prison, respectively, in mid-March for sedition.
Her father Emilio Roman is desperate.
His children accidentally got into the crowd and got carried away.
Video footage shows his daughter holding a bottle and her brothers are said to have thrown stones at security officers.
Román's family will appeal, as will Luis Frometa Compte's.
But Román wants his children to leave Cuba as soon as they are able.
They should "not spend another day in this country, which is a disgrace."
EU criticizes verdicts as "disproportionate"
The severe sentences have also caused consternation beyond Cuba's borders.
On Wednesday, the European Union said it was following the severe and "disproportionate" sentences in Cuba with "great concern."
The German embassy in Havana is taking care of the Frómeta case, as a spokesman for the Foreign Office in Berlin said.
She is in close contact with the Cuban authorities, the lawyer and the relatives of the person concerned.
Both the Foreign Office and the Embassy in Havana are making intensive efforts to gain consular access to Luis Frómeta Compte.
mpz/AFP