Cuban dissident Evangelio Sánchez Alayo detained in Santiago de Cuba
The 64-year-old activist was arrested on 28 October after appearing in response to a court summons, accused of terrorism. He spent 14 months in prison without trial before being released on conditional licence.
Cuban dissident returns to prison accused of terrorism after appearing in court
Cuban dissident Evangelio Sánchez Alayo, aged 64, was detained on 28 October in Santiago de Cuba after presenting himself in response to a court summons. He remains in custody at a police unit in La Maya, accused of terrorism and other offences, according to infobae.com citing the outlet CubaNet.
Sánchez Alayo resides in Alto Songo, municipality of Songo-La Maya. The summons corresponded to case number 15 of 2026, although the document was nearly illegible and made it impossible to identify with precision which authority had issued it. The hearing was scheduled for 08:00; the activist arrived after midday following a walk of approximately six kilometres from his residence to La Maya. After presenting himself to the Municipal People's Court, he was detained at the local police unit.
The case dates back to November 2023, when two men who identified themselves as Cuban-Americans visited the dissident at his home in Alto Songo. The following day, a State Security agent detained him in the central park of Songo. During questioning, an officer informed him that those visitors allegedly planned to place explosives, and that two other people had also been arrested in La Maya. Evangelio told CubaNet that he may have been caught up in an operation staged by the regime's police.
For that case he remained imprisoned for 14 months without trial, according to the same report. In July 2025 he reported that he had not received any evidence proving his involvement in the alleged offences. He was released from prison by means of a conditional licence granted due to the deterioration of his health, a measure that does not imply closure of his case file or an acquittal.
The new detention has revived his fears of returning to prison. The activist also expressed concern for his mother, aged 94, whom he cares for despite his own physical limitations.
Days before the arrest, Evangelio had warned of ongoing searches and pressure from State Security agents. According to his account, officials appeared at his residence to locate him and handcuffed and intimidated his partner—a woman with a speech disability—to obtain information about his whereabouts.
The organisation Ciudadanía y Libertad demanded immediate information about the activist's situation, guarantees for his physical integrity and access to medical care. The group also called on the authorities to clarify the grounds for the detention, respect due process and avoid reprisals against Evangelio and his family.
Source: Google News CU — Crime