Cuba Archive - Case 8236

Case ID: 8236

Title: N/A

First name: Maykel

Last name: Acosta Sánchez

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: 35

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:6 / Month:5 / Year:2021

Citizenship: N/A

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: N/A

Last known province-TOD: N/A

Last known province current: N/A

Last known country: N/A

Location death-address: Hospital Nacional

Location of death - city: La Habana

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?: N/A

Docket Number: N/A

Sentence details: N/A

Arrest or detention at time of death: N/A

Date of arrest: N/A

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: Combindado del Este prison

How long imprisoned/detained: Since 2004

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: N/A

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

Died of respiratory failure during a hunger strike of at least 19 days to protest what he insisted was his unjust incarceration. Two days earlier he had been transferred from prison to the hospital. His mother and sisters were unable to see him and although they had gone to the hospital, they were not told of his death for many hours. Maykel had been in prison since 2004, from age 17, for robbery with violence for allegedly ripping a chain from the neck of a woman (Docket 357 of 2004). The accuser failed to attend the trial and provided little detail to identify the assailant, which she only did from a photograph. Years later, she told Maykel's mother that she could not retract her testimony, as she would be accused of perjury. Maykel had been granted a conditional release (on parole) but was accused of buying drugs, although none were found at his home, and sentenced to ten years of prison.

Maykel insisted he was innocent and at the time of the crime was in the hospital, recovering from a surgery.  He had staged two previous hunger strikes. He had four years of prison remaining in his sentence.

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Murío de un paro respiratorio al pasar al menos 19 días, según la versión oficial (la familia habla de 21), plantado en huelga de hambre. "Como único puedo demostrar mi inocencia es muriéndome", escribió en una carta titulada "Joven cubano pide justicia". En dos ocasiones me han obligado a declararme en huelga de hambre. La primera vez estuve 46 días y la segunda 63 días y lo único que he conseguido es que me torturen cada vez que hago eso", denunció. En esas cartas escritas en 2018, Acosta contaba además que su mamá, que entonces tenía 62 años, había ido a protestar con un cartel a la Plaza de la Revolución, pidiendo justicia para su hijo y lejos de investigar qué estaba pasando la Seguridad del Estado la obligó a firmar dos actas de advertencia tras ser detenida. Se refiere a una condena en su contra por un supuesto delito de robo con violencia por la que en 2004 ingresó en el sistema penitenciario cubano de supuesta reeducación de menores hasta que cumplió 18 años y fue enviado a una prisión de adultos.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Reported: Highly likely / Highly reliable source(s)

Cause of Death: - Hunger strike

Occupations: - N/A

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Prisoner / Detainee: Non-political cause

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Maykel Acosta Sánchez