A Havana court sentenced content creator Anna Sofía Benítez, 21, and her mother, Caridad Silvente, to two years of “restricted freedom” on Thursday after finding them guilty of violating a Ministry of the Interior agent’s privacy, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported.
Benítez, known online as “Anna Bensi,” and Silvente recorded the agent as he delivered a summons connected to a video Benítez had published criticizing the Cuban government. The two women said they filmed the encounter over security concerns. The agent said the recording violated his privacy.
The prosecutor initially shelved the case after the agent withdrew his complaint, but reopened it in July when he refiled it for reasons that remain unknown, according to local media.
The conviction rests on Article 393 of the Cuban Penal Code, which criminalizes obtaining, reproducing, disclosing, or retaining recordings of another person’s voice, image, or data without consent and with the purpose of affecting their privacy. Restricted liberty permits the guilty parties to continue normal life under certain conditions, including a ban on leaving the country, according to Roberto Ortega, the women’s lawyer, who said the written ruling is expected in about five days.
“Cuban authorities should drop all charges against Anna Sofía Benítez and Caridad Silvente and stop using privacy laws to silence criticism,” José Zamora, CPJ’s regional director for the Americas, said in a statement. “Authorities must allow journalists to cover their case freely and end the intimidation of those who report on government actions.”
Several journalists were able to speak with the two women outside the East Havana Municipal People’s Court in Cojímar following the verdict. CPJ said other journalists, including Yoani Sánchez and Camila Acosta, reported that State Security agents prevented them from leaving their homes on the morning of October 1, blocking them from covering the proceedings.
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A Havana court sentenced content creator Anna Sofía Benítez, 21, and her mother, Caridad Silvente, to two years of “restricted freedom” on Thursday after finding them guilty of violating a Ministry of the Interior agent’s privacy, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported.
Benítez, known online as “Anna Bensi,” and Silvente recorded the agent as he delivered a summons connected to a video Benítez had published criticizing the Cuban government. The two women said they filmed the encounter over security concerns. The agent said the recording violated his privacy.
The prosecutor initially shelved the case after the agent withdrew his complaint, but reopened it in July when he refiled it for reasons that remain unknown, according to local media.
The conviction rests on Article 393 of the Cuban Penal Code, which criminalizes obtaining, reproducing, disclosing, or retaining recordings of another person’s voice, image, or data without consent and with the purpose of affecting their privacy. Restricted liberty permits the guilty parties to continue normal life under certain conditions, including a ban on leaving the country, according to Roberto Ortega, the women’s lawyer, who said the written ruling is expected in about five days.
“Cuban authorities should drop all charges against Anna Sofía Benítez and Caridad Silvente and stop using privacy laws to silence criticism,” José Zamora, CPJ’s regional director for the Americas, said in a statement. “Authorities must allow journalists to cover their case freely and end the intimidation of those who report on government actions.”
Several journalists were able to speak with the two women outside the East Havana Municipal People’s Court in Cojímar following the verdict. CPJ said other journalists, including Yoani Sánchez and Camila Acosta, reported that State Security agents prevented them from leaving their homes on the morning of October 1, blocking them from covering the proceedings.
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