Peaceful activist detained up to a year for non-payment of fines

The Lady in White Yolanda Santana Ayala has been sanctioned this Friday to a year of deprivation of freedom for the non-payment of fines related to her political activities. On July 1, after leaving the national headquarters of the Ladies in White, located in the Lawton municipality of the Cuban capital, Santana was arrested along with Daisy Artiles and Berta Soler, leader of the organization. The method of the fines is a measure used by State Security to imprison peaceful opponents, especially members of the Ladies in White movement, to prevent them from leaving their places of residence by placing them under house arrest or denying them permission to travel when invited to different international forums. "At the moment she is detained in the Capri Police Unit waiting for the order of the State Department to be transferred to a women's prison," said former political prisoner Ángel Moya.