Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente and her mother, Caridad Silvente Laffita, were found “guilty” of allegedly committing “acts against the privacy” of a Ministry of the Interior (Minint) agent after they recorded and published footage of him delivering a summons at their home. The young woman, known as “Anna Bensi” for her critical videos on social media, said after the hearing that the proceedings were “an injustice” for expressing her opinions about the Cuban regime.
According to the 21-year-old activist, the court sentenced them to “two years of restricted freedom” in a trial held on October 1, 2026, at the Habana del Este Municipal Court, presided over by Judge Zamira Marrero Morgado. They are waiting to receive the ruling in writing before filing an appeal.
The trial, which was declared “private,” took place on Thursday morning. Dozens of people gathered outside the courthouse to express their support for the family, despite the authorities’ attempts to curb solidarity with the defendants by harassing independent journalists—including CubaNet reporter Camila Acosta—and activists, as well as arbitrarily detaining Christian leaders.
Evangelical pastor Rolando Fidel Pérez Lora, known on social media as “Pregonero de Cristo,” was violently detained by State Security and National Revolutionary Police (PNR) agents while on his way to the courthouse with the defendants. A video of the arrest circulated on social media shows Pérez Lora being handcuffed and thrown to the ground by uniformed officers, who did not explain the reasons for the detention or present any legal document.
Hours earlier, the pastor had warned Martí Noticias about a police deployment outside the homes of members of the youth collective Fuera de la Caja, other creators of critical content who have been harassed in recent months.
Christian activist David Espinosa Martínez was also detained while trying to attend the trial. According to Pérez Lora, Espinosa was arrested at around 8:00 a.m. and taken to a police station in the municipality of La Lisa.
Members of Fuera de la Caja Cuba said agents told them they could not leave their homes until after 11:00 a.m. The group denounced the presence of patrol cars and agents outside the homes of several of its members.
Upon arriving, Anna Bensi reported that patrol cars and dozens of plainclothes agents had been stationed around her home since early morning and that she and her mother had been escorted throughout the entire journey.
A Fabricated Case to Punish Free Expression
Minutes before going inside, Anna Sofía Benítez spoke to foreign media accredited on the island outside the courthouse. “The trial will not be fair, but I have a just God,” the young woman said. She added that she hoped the truth would prevail, but warned that the country is governed by “a state of injustice.”
The young woman maintained that neither she nor her mother are criminals and that they merely express what they think through a phone, which “is not a weapon.” She said they disagree with Cuba’s political system and that “that is not a crime.”
When a journalist from the EFE news agency asked her what the solution for the country was, Anna Bensi replied: “For Cuba to be free.” Several of those accompanying her showed their support by calling for “change” and “freedom.”
According to CubaNet, Bárbaro Marrero, president of the Board of Directors of the Baptist Convention of Cuba, and Arturo Leal, pastor of the Alamar congregation, entered the trial with Anna Bensi and her mother.
The proceedings originated in March 2026, after a PNR noncommissioned officer identified as Yoel L. Rabaza Ramos served her with a summons on behalf of State Security. Anna Bensi and her mother recorded the officer’s actions and posted the video on social media.
After an initial failed attempt to prosecute her through charges filed ex officio by the authorities, the noncommissioned officer personally filed a complaint with the court against Anna Bensi and her mother, probably under pressure from his superior officers and State Security.
Although Cuban law contains no express prohibition against filming officials as they perform their duties, in practice these individuals—especially PNR and State Security agents—object to being recorded and exposed.
In official propaganda outlets, it has been said that public officials are protected by image rights and therefore should not be filmed, much less have their actions posted on social media.
Nevertheless, public functions are not private, and those serving as officials should not be protected by privacy rules, particularly when they operate in public spaces (the street, official institutions, or the common hallway of an apartment building, as occurred in this case).
Human rights organizations such as Justicia 11J and Cubalex have described the proceedings against Anna Bensi and her mother as “another case of criminalizing critical expression in Cuba” and of using the law to persecute dissent.
This text was translated with AI tools
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