Cuba Archive - Case 8003

Case ID: 8003

Title: N/A

First name: José Gabriel

Last name: Ramón Castillo

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: Pepín

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: 61

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: Day:3 / Month:4 / Year:1857

Civil Status: Divorced / Separated

Date of death/disappearance: Day:16 / Month:7 / Year:2018

Citizenship: N/A

Last known address: 6458 Evan Street

Last known city: Hollywood, Florida

Last known province-TOD: N/A

Last known province current: N/A

Last known country: United States

Location death-address: Memorial Hospital

Location of death - city: Hollywood, Florida

Location of death province - at TOD: N/A

Location of death province - current: N/A

Location of death - country: United States

Trial held?: N/A

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: N/A

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

Former Cuban university professor, independent journalist, human rights' defender, and prisoner of conscience died of cirrhosis from hepatitis believed to have been induced by prison authorities during his incarceration in the 1990s. His condition worsened during another 5-year incarceration when he and 74 other members of Cuba's civil society were sentenced to decades of prison during the Black Spring of 2003.  Pepín had been sentenced to 20 years, but in 2008 was flown to Spain for medical treatment at the request of the Spanish government. He received asylum in Spain and eventually left for the United States. 
Pepín had founded a civil society group, Instituto Independiente Cultura y Democracia, in 1993, for which he had been expelled from his job at the Universidad de Oriente. At his home in Santiago de Cuba, he offered workshops on civics and human rights. Earlier, in 1990, he had founded the human rights movement, Patria Independencia y Libertad, PIL. As a result of his activities, he endured constant harassment and arrests when he was not in prison.
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Ex-profesor universitario, periodista independiente, defensor de derechos humanos y preso de conciencia murió de cirrosis por hepatitis que se cree fue inducida por las autoridades penitenciarias durante su encarcelamiento en la década de los noventa. Su condición empeoró durante otros 5 años de encarcelamiento cuando él y otros 74 miembros de la sociedad civil de Cuba fueron condenados a décadas de prisión durante la Primavera Negra de 2003. Pepín había sido sentenciado a 20 años, pero en 2008 fue trasladado a España para recibir tratamiento médico. a petición del gobierno español. Recibió asilo en España y finalmente se fue a Estados Unidos.
Pepín había fundado un grupo de la sociedad civil, el Instituto Independiente Cultura y Democracia, en 1993, por lo que había sido expulsado de su trabajo en la Universidad de Oriente. En su casa de Santiago de Cuba, ofreció talleres sobre cívica y derechos humanos. Anteriormente, en 1990, había fundado el movimiento de derechos humanos Patria Independencia y Libertad, PIL. Como resultado de sus actividades, sufrió constantes hostigamientos y detenciones cuando no estaba en prisión.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Confirmed with primary source(s)

Cause of Death: - Medical condition/Denial of medical care

Occupations: - N/A - Education, Training, and Library Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Prisoner / Detainee: Recently released

Affiliations: - Instituto Independiente Cultura y Democracia

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - José Gabriel Ramón Castillo