Cuban Courts Reviewing Over Dozen Cases Related to July 11 Unrest
02:13 GMT 25.07.2021 (Updated: 10:38 GMT 29.03.2023)
© REUTERS / RICARDO ROJASCuban residents gather to protest against the Cuban government after recent demonstrations erupted in Cuba amid widespread shortages of basic goods, demands for political rights and the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic July 18, 2021.
© REUTERS / RICARDO ROJAS
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MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - Courts in Cuba are reviewing 19 cases involving 59 people who are accused of crimes related to the recent protests, Ruben Remigio Ferro, president of the Cuban Supreme People's Court said.
Ferro told reporters on Saturday that the cases were heard in municipal courts and involve people accused of committing less serious crimes, such as public disorder.
Cuba’s Attorney General Yamila Pena Ojeda told reporters on Saturday that there are already people who have been released because their innocence has been proven, while others have been subject to fines or administrative measures.
July brought Cuba its largest protests since 1994, with multiple casualties and arrests.
With years of shortages of basic goods, including food, and an economic decline in the background, people were angered by the way the government handled the COVID-19 response and persecuted critics. Thousands took to the streets to demand free elections and social order.
The United States imposed a new round of sanctions on Cuba this week, targeting the Cuban military and the interior ministry over the crackdown on protesters.