José Julián, a resident of Yaguajay whose detention has prompted appeals from Cubans abroad, was tried behind closed doors on Thursday, October 15, according to people close to the case. They allege that he was not allowed to testify, the defense presented no witnesses and State Security agents filled much of the courtroom.
The hearing was scheduled for 10 a.m. but began at 3 p.m., the same sources told Cubanos por el Mundo. They have been following the case from Yaguajay and from abroad and previously alerted the newsroom to his detention. CPM has reported their campaign for José Julián’s release and their account that prosecutors were seeking eight years in prison.
Sources describe a closed trial in Yaguajay
People close to the case characterize the proceedings as predetermined. Alongside an alleged public-disorder offense, they say José Julián faces accusations of contempt and acting against the constitutional order. CPM has not obtained the formal charging documents.
The sources say his attorney defended him forcefully but was ordered to stop speaking during the hearing. Their account of how the trial was conducted has not been independently confirmed through court records.
Questions about the prosecutor’s identity and role
The sources identify the prosecutor as Yuritma Palacios Aroche. The Sancti Spíritus Provincial Prosecutor’s Office published Facebook images of a reception in Yaguajay for a prosecutor under that name, praising her participation in the “La Habana de Todos” campaign as a member of the Ernesto “Che” Guevara contingent.
A separate image circulating on social media shows a law degree from the Universidad de Sancti Spíritus José Martí Pérez bearing the name Yaritma Palacio Aroche. That spelling differs from the name in the account of the reception. The discrepancy remains unresolved in the reporting available to CPM.
One source initially said the prosecutor had come from an eastern province and was unknown locally. The official institutional post, however, places the prosecutor it describes within the Sancti Spíritus office. This distinction is important when assessing the sources’ accounts.
A prosecutor brings the accusation and requests a penalty; the court determines the sentence. CPM has not accessed case documents or officially confirmed the prosecutor’s involvement, the formal charges or whether a sentence has been handed down. The reported eight-year request is attributed to people close to the case and is not a confirmed sentence.
The earlier appeal was also shared on Cubanos por el Mundo’s Facebook page.
Cuban exiles demand attention to the case
Miami-based activist Maritza A. Mart, one of the campaign’s most active voices, published the prosecutor’s photograph and accused her of following State Security instructions and adding charges to punish dissent. Those are the activist’s allegations, rather than findings established by court documents available to CPM.
One person following the case appealed to the newsroom to give visibility to what they described as an injustice. The appeals reflect the concern of people in Yaguajay and members of its emigrant community who are seeking his release.
For broader context, independent legal organization Cubalex documented 298 acts of repression in Cuba during September, as covered in CPM’s report on Cubalex’s findings. Those findings concern the wider situation on the island and do not independently corroborate the allegations about this trial.
What remains unconfirmed
The available account comes from people close to the case. CPM has not reviewed the official charges, a trial transcript or a written judgment. The sources’ claims that José Julián could not testify and that the defense presented no witnesses remain attributed to them.
The newsroom will continue reporting when the sentence or additional documentation becomes available. Until then, the prosecution’s reported request and the court’s eventual decision must be distinguished.
American English adaptation of Cubanos por el Mundo’s original Spanish-language report. The allegations and unresolved questions about the prosecutor’s name and participation are preserved.
