Family Can't Visit Him - German Suffers in Cuban Prison Undersecretive Regime
Janie Frómeta from Dresden expressed her concern on social media yesterday, "Why haven't we been allowed to see him yet?" she asked, referring to her father, German-Cuban Luis Frómeta Compte.
A week prior, four inmates brutally attacked Luis at the Combinado del Este high-security prison in Havana, causing severe injuries, including a deep cut on his nose encountered with a razor blade, as per Janie's account.*
Luis, one of the many arrested for their participation in July 2021 protests in Cuba, faced charges of sedition after filming a demonstration on his phone, resulting in a 15-year sentence. Originally a guest worker in Germany, he has called Dresden home since 1985. Since obtaining German citizenship in 1997, Luis shares a cell with thirty serious offenders in the Combinado del Este's high-security prison, according to his wife, Silke Frómeta Compte.*
The reasons behind the November 30th attack remain unclear. Following the incident, his family has been unable to visit him during this difficult time and managed a brief phone conversation on Monday only.
Two weeks earlier, EU Human Rights Envoy Eamon Gilmore raised the EU's concern for the detained demonstrators' release, including ambassadors of other countries. A demonstrator's death shortly before Gilmore's visit, seemingly due to respiratory illness, further highlighted the pressing need for amelioration.
Neither the Cuban government nor the German embassy in Havana has reported on Luis Frómeta Compte's condition. Allegedly, the embassy has been hesitant to offer consular assistance despite monitoring the issue closely and making relentless endeavors to secure his favorable treatment.
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Despite the continued attacks, the Dresden regional news insightfully and closely follows Luis Frómeta Compte's predicament. With Luis in Havana's Combinado del Este high-security prison, he remains vulnerable to further harm.
In response to the incident, Dresden advocacy petitions have surfaced, urging for Luis's release and improved treatment while in custody based on human rights violations.
Silently, Cuban authorities have refrained from addressing queries concerning Luis's health or forthcoming court proceedings, straining the concerns of his loved ones and supporters in the regional news community of Dresden.
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Supplementary Information
- The July 2021 protests in Cuba saw a nationwide outcry against the government for economic struggles and restricted freedoms.
- Cuban authorities claim that filming demonstrations can be considered sedition, leading to incarceration.
- Extreme confinement, poor living conditions, and lack of medical attention are prevalent for political prisoners in Cuba, as well as the denial of visitations from family and friends.
