Rosabel Roca Sampedro, a prosecutor from Camagüey, Cuba, who called for long prison sentences for young protesters of the July 11 demonstrations and other dissidents, has requested an appointment through the CBPOne app to migrate to the United States, according to sources from Martí Noticias.
Multiple reports on social media indicate that Roca Sampedro left Cuba with her young daughter and currently resides in Mexico. She has deleted a social media profile where she publicly showed her allegiance to the Cuban regime and is waiting for the U.S. to grant her an appointment via CBPOne to present herself at the border and request political asylum.
Javier Larrondo, director of the NGO Prisoners Defenders, which documents human rights violations in Cuba, explained, “Case number 26 of 2022, from the Preparatory Phase File 31 of 2021 for assault and contempt, was instructed by prosecutor Rosabel Roca Sampedro. Because of her work, four innocent people were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 3 years and 6 months to 4 years and 4 months.”
Following the July 11, 2021, protests, the largest peaceful demonstrations in Cuba’s history, the regime sentenced over 1,000 people to prison. This crackdown has been a significant obstacle in Cuba’s relations with the United States and a cause for international condemnation.
The former prosecutor, aged 42, plans to live in Houston, Texas, where she has a daughter. Contacts in Houston, such as Adrián Díaz, did not deny knowing her but stated they do not maintain communication.
Roca Sampedro has not responded to Martí Noticias’ attempts to contact her via social media. She is well-known in the Municipal Court of Camagüey. Political prisoners affected by her actions include Adrián Quesada Flores, Geovanis Cepulveda Martínez, Lesyani Heredia Salazar, and Yadisley Rodríguez Ramírez.
“If the prosecutor wants to redeem her crimes, given that arbitrary imprisonment is a crime against humanity which she participated in, she must summon the media and disclose everything she did for the regime,” Larrondo added. “Her victims remain imprisoned. Redemption is impossible without making significant efforts to correct the harm caused.”
Roca Sampedro has also been accused of imprisoning Bárbaro de Céspedes, a Camagüey dissident, for 18 months on charges of disobedience and incitement to commit crimes related to the July 11 protests.
De Céspedes recounted, “She was very despotic to me, did not let me speak, and showed contempt for me throughout the trial. It would be satisfying to see her deported. She does not deserve to live in freedom.”
The organization Justicia 11J provided documents bearing her signature, confirming her involvement in the prosecution of July 11 protestors.
Recently, similar cases have surfaced, including Judge Melody González Pedraza’s arrival in Tampa, Florida. She faces a deportation hearing in Broward. Additionally, Manuel Alejandro Marrero, son of the Cuban Prime Minister, sought humanitarian parole, and the arrival of his relatives in Cape Coral has been reported. In Kentucky, Arelys Casañola Quintana, a former government leader in Isla de la Juventud, was denied parole.
Read the full article in English on martinoticias.com, assisted by Google Translate.