Cuban opposition leader Jose Daniel Ferrer has been held in prison since the mass uprising in July 2021, where the communist regime has subjected him to physical and psychological torture while he is held in inhumane conditions. Ferrer’s only crime has been to advocate for freedom, democracy, and the end of tyranny in Cuba. Amnesty International has been following Ferrer’s case since the beginning and has issued a demand for his immediate release.
‘Jose Daniel must be released NOW!,’ Amnesty International tells the Cuban regime
Amnesty International (AI) demanded the release of Cuban political prisoner and leader of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), José Daniel Ferrer, this week. Ferrer has been incarcerated for over two years without a trial date in Mar Verde prison in Santiago de Cuba.
In a Facebook post, AI recalled that Ferrer was arrested on July 11, 2021 (11J) during widespread protests across the island. Since August 14 of that year, he has been held in solitary confinement.
In an urgent plea, AI stated: “José Daniel must be released! NOW!” They also denounced the type of detention Ferrer is subjected to, including constant isolation, stating that it “increases the risk of torture, other ill-treatment, and forced disappearances. In some circumstances, it may constitute a form of torture or cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment in itself.”
Amnesty International, which has consistently highlighted the situation of the dissident, also demanded his immediate and unconditional release from the island’s regime in June of the previous year. At that time, the political prisoner had been incommunicado for almost three months.
On May 18, 2023, the organization sent an open letter to President Miguel Díaz-Canel demanding the immediate release of José Daniel Ferrer, but as of now, no response has been received.
Additionally, Human Rights Watch (HRW) continues to demand Ferrer’s release and raise concerns about his deteriorating health. Juan Pappier, Senior Americas Researcher at HRW, has reported that the opposition leader is being pressured to leave the country, a demand he refuses.
José Daniel Ferrer, promoter of Cuba Decide and president of the People’s Party, was arrested on July 11, 2021, while preparing to join popular demonstrations. He was initially held in the Versalles torture center and later transferred to Mar Verde prison in early August.
Since then, his sister Ana Belkis Ferrer and his wife, Dr. Nelva Ismaray Ortega, have tirelessly exposed all the injustices he has faced. Ismaray Ortega has denounced all denied conjugal visits and the numerous futile trips she has made with her children to the prison.