The United States responds to repression: Sanctions Cuban prosecutor and judges for the arbitrary detention of opposition leader Luis Robles
The Secretary of State warned that those who participate in repressive acts against the Cuban population will be identified and sanctioned.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio
The U.S. government announced Wednesday immigration sanctions against four Cuban judicial officials for their involvement in the Cuban war on terrorism in the arbitrary imprisonment of young Luis Robles Elizástigui, who was arrested in 2020 for holding a sign calling for freedom and an end to repression in Cuba.
The measures affect prosecutor Yanaisa Matos Legrá and judges Gladys María Padrón Canals, María Elena Fornari Conde and Juan Sosa Orama, all linked to the People's Provincial Court of Havana. The restrictions prohibit them from entering the country, and they also affect the immediate family members of those sanctioned.
Protesting with a sign, the cause of the punishment
Human rights organizations denounced his case as a serious violation of freedom of expression. In 2022, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called it an unjust imprisonment.
Robles was finally released from prison in January 2025, after serving most of his sentence, although he remains under restrictive conditions that limit his freedom.
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A judicial apparatus at the service of the regime
The Department of State accused the sanctioned judges and prosecutors of acting as extensions of the regime, not as representatives of an independent judiciary. According to the statement, these officials facilitated a manipulated judicial process that punished Robles for exercising his right to peacefully express himself. In addition, they are held responsible for having participated in other similar cases.
Direct warning from the Department of State
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also made a statement on the sanctions through his social media, issuing a clear warning to Cuban officials involved in human rights violations. Rubio stressed that those who participate in repressive acts against the Cuban population will be identified and sanctioned. "Cuban regime officials who commit human rights violations against the Cuban people are on notice. Today the U.S. is holding three Cuban judges and one Cuban prosecutor accountable for their role in the arbitrary detention of Luis Robles Elizástigui. With this action these individuals are now ineligible to enter our nation," he said.
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