EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has urged the Cuban government to release political prisoners and demonstrators arrested after spontaneous protests on the island in 2021.

“The European Union is following with deep concern the prison sentences that are being handed down in Cuba to those involved in the events of 11 and 12 July 2021,” Mr Borrell said in a statement.

Demonstrations for freedom and against repression and mismanagement were held in several Cuban cities on July 11, 2021.

“The spontaneous protests that took place across the island reflected legitimate grievances on the part of the population but were met with repression,” it stated. “Over 1,400 people have been arrested and 790 indicted in connection with these events.”

An additional 128 sentences were made public by Cuba’s Supreme Court on March 16, with terms ranging up to 30 years, Mr Borrell added.

“These verdicts are disproportionate,” he added.

He said these trials present important concerns in relation to basic principles and international standards of transparency and due process,” he explained. “Such as the right for the accused to be represented by independent legal counsel of their own choosing.”

The EU “urges the Cuban authorities to respect the civil and political rights of the Cuban people, including freedom of association, freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.” 

(dpa/NAN)