A Second Day Of Police Harassment For Somos+ Academy

A Second Day Of Police Harassment For Somos+ Academy / 14ymedio

Academy 1010, an initiative of the Somos+ (We Are More) Movement,
experienced a second day of police harassment with a strong Sttae
Security operation around the homes of several activists, including
arrests and deportations to home provinces. Today, no participants were
able to reach the Havana site where courses on civil society, technology
and human rights were to be held, according to information from the
president of this opposition organization, Eliecer Avila, speaking to
14ymedio.

Joanna Columbié, director of the Academy initiative, said that since
Monday "a cordon of patrol cars" has surrounded Avila's home, the
intended site of the conferences and classes.

"I am surprised and indignant because we never imagined that an
eminently academic activity would bring a wave of arrests and arbitrary
acts as if we were doing something terrible, against the law," said Avila.

During the first day of activities, five students who managed to get
close to the site were arrested, while others have been unable to leave
their home provinces, said Columbié. On the opening day only "seven
students were able to come" and "they received their classes normally,"
she added.

Those arrested so far are Yoan Valdivieso, Pedro Acosta, Georlis
Olazabal, Norberto Leyva and Alexei Gamez. From the latter the police
confiscated the laptop he travels with, and threatened to prosecute him
under the crime of "receiving stolen goods."

From their home provinces, the political police will not allow Agny
Almanza, Javier Rojas and Pedro Escalona to travel to the
capital. Georlis Olazabal is being deported right now to the province of
Camagüey.

Starting Sunday, Columbié and Avila were warned by State Security agents
that they would prevent participants from getting to the conference and
accused them of trying to "subvert the political order of the country."

Through Academy 1010, Somos+ is proposing to provide "the necessary
knowledge to empower hundreds of young Cubans to serve as political
candidates."

Source: A Second Day Of Police Harassment For Somos+ Academy / 14ymedio
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