Cuba Archive - Case 129

Case ID: 129

Title: N/A

First name: Sergio

Last name: Díaz Larrastegui

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: 54

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:19 / Month:4 / Year:2012

Citizenship: N/A

Last known address: Mayía Rodríguez, edificio 459 apartamento 305, e/ Carmen y Patrocinio, la Víbora, Municipio 10 de Octubre,

Last known city: Havana

Last known province-TOD: Ciudad de La Habana

Last known province current: Ciudad de La Habana

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: Hospital Julio Trigo

Location of death - city: Havana

Location of death province - at TOD: Ciudad de La Habana

Location of death province - current: Ciudad de La Habana

Location of death - country: Cuba

Trial held?: No

Docket Number: N/A

Sentence details: N/A

Arrest or detention at time of death: No

Date of arrest: N/A

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: N/A

How long imprisoned/detained: N/A

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: State Security police

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

Blind Afro-Cuban human rights activist who died under suspicious circumstances. His home served as headquarters of the opposition group Council of Human Rights Rapporteurs of Cuba (CHRRC). He had been expelled from his workplace (as IT engineer), confiscated his computer, threatened with death by the political police for not agreeing to cooperate as an informant and to expel the leader of the CHRRC from his home. He was totally healthy when he suddenly fell ill and was admitted to the hospital under State Security control. He was diagnosed with a hepatic cirrhosis, which can be caused by alcohol chemicals ( fat, certain medications, viruses, and toxic metals), yet he had never drunk alcohol or taken medication. The doctor at the hospital who attended to him said he could last years with the condition, then a State Security doctor interrupted and said he was going to die. After ten days, he was sent home from the hospital without any medical treatment. He became very ill again and was taken to the hospital, where he died almost immediately under a large State Security presence. The doctor was very nervous and said he did not know what Diaz had died of. Fellow activists believe he was assassinated by State Security.
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Este activista invidente prestaba su casa como cuartel general a un grupo de derechos humanos. Por esto fue expulsado del trabajo y amenazado de muerte por la Seguridad del Estado. Gozaba de buena salud cuando repentinamente cayó enfermo
y fue ingresado en el hospital bajo el control de la Seguridad del Estado. Se le diagnosticó una cirrosis hepática, que es causada por alcohol o sustancias químicas (ciertos medicamentos, virus y metales tóxicos) aunque no bebía alcohol ni tomaba medicamentos. Después de diez días, fue dado de alta sin tratamiento médico alguno. Pocos días más tarde se enfermó nuevamente, fue llevado al hospital y murió bajo la vigilancia de la Seguridad del Estado. Según informes, el médico estaba muy
nervioso y dijo que no sabía qué le había provocado la muerte.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Confirmed with primary source(s)

Cause of Death: - Extrajudicial killing - possible/suspected

Occupations: - Computer and Mathematical Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Political opponent: member of opposition group

Affiliations: - Consejo de Relatores de Derechos Humanos de Cuba

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Sergio Díaz Larrastegui