Human rights - Family: German seriously injured in prison in Cuba
The relatives of a German man imprisoned in Cuba are worried about his condition after he was allegedly beaten and seriously injured in prison. "Our family still hasn't been allowed to see him. Why?" wrote Janie Frómeta from Dresden on social media on Thursday. A week earlier, four fellow inmates had beaten up her father, the German-Cuban Luis Frómeta Compte, in prison and cut his nose open with a razor blade.
Luis Frómeta Compte is one of hundreds of people who were imprisoned on the socialist Caribbean island for their participation in protests in July 2021. He was visiting relatives in Havana, filmed a demonstration on his cell phone, was arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison for sedition.
Frómeta Compte moved to Dresden in 1985 as a guest worker. The skilled forestry worker has been a German citizen since 1997. According to his wife Silke Frómeta Compte, the 61-year-old has to share a cell with 30 serious criminals in the Combinado del Este high-security prison.
Background to the attack unclear
The background to the attack on November 30 was unclear. According to Janie Frómeta, her father is in the prison infirmary. His relatives have not been allowed to visit him since the incident and were only able to speak to him briefly on the phone on Monday.
Two weeks ago, EU Human Rights Envoy Eamon Gilmore was in Cuba for talks. He told the government that he had reiterated the EU's call for the release of the detained demonstrators. A few days earlier, one of the detainees had died - according to activists, from a respiratory illness that had not been treated.
The Cuban government did not respond to a question from the German Press Agency about Frómeta Compte's state of health. The authorities at the German embassy in Havana are refusing to provide him with consular assistance. However, the case is being closely monitored and intensive efforts are being made on his behalf, according to the German Foreign Office.
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- Despite the concerns of his family, Luis Frómeta Compte, the German-Cuban man imprisoned in Cuba for filming a demonstration and sentenced to 15 years in prison, remains in the prison's infirmary after being seriously injured during a prison demonstration.
- The incident occurred on November 30 in the Combinado del Este high-security prison in Havana, where Frómeta Compte is currently serving his time, sharing a cell with 30 serious criminals.
- Cuba, known for its strict penal system, has become a controversial topic as hundreds of people, including Frómeta Compte, were imprisoned for participating in protests in July 2021.
- In an attempt to secure his release, EU Human Rights Envoy Eamon Gilmore recently held talks with the Cuban government, urging them to free the detained demonstrators, including Frómeta Compte.
- Unfortunately, the German Foreign Office has reported that the Cuban government and authorities at the German embassy in Havana are refusing to provide Frómeta Compte with consular assistance, making his situation even more dire.
Source: www.stern.de
