Human rights activist and Project Emilia manager lacks adequate medical care and living conditions in 5 y Medio Prison to cope with throat cancer

Alexander Díaz Rodríguez, PUNCLI activist and manager of the Emilia Project, was arrested and sentenced for participating in the 11J protests. Díaz has been diagnosed with throat cancer, which he was diagnosed with shortly before being transferred to the 5 y Medio Prison (Pinar del Río), where he is currently being held. Alexander, together with his family, denounce that in that place he is denied medical assistance and does not have the necessary living conditions for his illness. The Penitentiary does not have the medicines he requires, he is not taken to the medical post every time he needs them, which is frequent due to the severe pain he suffers. Visits to specialists are not made whenever he needs them and, in addition, the doctor prescribed him a diet, which he does not receive either. As a result, the activist is in a delicate state of health and must remain most of the time lying on his bed due to lack of strength to sit or stand up. The prison authorities have catalogued as serious indiscipline the occasions on which the political prisoner has demanded medical attention and as a punishment have deprived him of most family visits. Without these, he cannot receive personal hygiene implements, knobs to collect water and food.