Over 50 Cuba Protesters to Go on Trial This Week - Relatives Confirm

At least 57 protesters from Cuba that were apprehended over the unprecedented demonstrations in the country since last year are scheduled to go on trial this week.

Al Jazeera noted that the information on Tuesday was confirmed by the relatives of the demonstrators who were placed under the custody of the law enforcement authorities in the country.

According to the relatives of the protesters, the three collective trials are already scheduled, Associated Press reported.

Reports noted that 21 will be charged in the eastern city of Holguin, 20 will take place in Havana, and 16 will happen in Santa Clara.

Sentences for Cuba Protesters

The relatives of the protesters also provided an update regarding some of the possible sentences their family members will have to face.

Yaquelin Cruz from Havana shared that her son Dariel Cruz faced a prosecution request for a 15-year sentence for sedition - attempting to overthrow a legitimate government. Cruz added that her son was also stabbed in prison.

Meanwhile, Justice 11J, a group that tracks the detainees in Cuba, revealed that some of the protesters in Holguin face 30-year sentences for the same charge.

Several relatives also noted that they were informed about only one family member of each defendant will be allowed in the courtroom.

Cuban authorities have never released an official number of detained protesters. However, their court officials said in August that there had been 23 quick trials for 67 defendants that faced lesser charges, including public disorder.

Salome Garcia from Justice 11J said that since then, the government of Cuba has arranged more serious charges against the protesters such as sedition.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted that at least 600 protesters from Cuba remain in detention, including those who have seen their health deteriorating due to the lack of access to proper food and medicine.

However, Justice 11J confirmed around 1,334 detentions, 223 convictions for various charges, and 231 others facing charges. The organization also noted that at least 98 people were fined.

Cuba Protests

The demonstration in Cuba happened in July, marking the biggest one in decades against the country's Communist regime.

Thousands of Cuban rallied on the streets as Cuba's economy collapse alongside the country's shortages of food, medicine, and price hikes amid the pandemic. However, the Cuban government accused the United States of being the "real force" behind the demonstrations.

The U.S. Government has denied playing a role in the protests that happened in the country, but its sanctions on the Cuban officials, they believe, played a role in cracking down the demonstrations.

It can be recalled that on Thursday, the Biden administration issued a travel ban on eight Cuban officials accused of repression of peaceful protests in Cuba since July.

During the first series of sanctions imposed by the Biden administration to the Cuban officials in July last year, President Joe Biden underscored that the U.S. government will hold the Cuban regime "accountable" and that their support for the people of Cuba is "unwavering."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Cuban Government Cracks Down On Activists Ahead Of Protest - From NBC News