Henry Constantin case file returned to Public Prosecutor without trial opening in Camagüey
The Municipal Court of Camagüey returned the case file of independent journalist Henry Constantin to the Public Prosecutor without the case proceeding to trial. The prosecutor has 72 hours to complete the outstanding proceedings.
Constantin case: court halts process and returns file to Public Prosecutor
The Municipal Court of Camagüey returned the case file of independent journalist Henry Constantin to the Provincial Public Prosecutor without the case proceeding to trial, according to martinoticias.com reported on Tuesday. The reasons for the judicial decision remain uncommunicated to the defence.
The return has left the proceedings against the director of La Hora de Cuba in abeyance. He was detained on 16 September under an alleged charge of disobedience. His lawyer informed that on Monday afternoon the case file had been returned to the prosecutor, who has a period of 72 hours to carry out the proceedings required by the court and complete the outstanding actions.
"With this issue of the file now being returned to the prosecutor's office, it is not known when the trial will be opened," said Alejandra García, journalist at La Hora de Cuba and partner of Constantin, in an interview with Martí Noticias.
The defence had planned to request on 6 October the modification of the precautionary measure of preventive detention and to incorporate a manuscript by the journalist as documentary evidence. That request will now be presented to the Provincial Public Prosecutor, where the file is located, with the same purpose.
The Cuban Observatory of Human Rights noted that the return could be related to the absence of some element necessary to sustain the accusation, although that interpretation has not been confirmed by the authorities as the reason for the decision.
Constantin's defenders contend that the charge of disobedience lacks foundation and question his continued preventive detention. While these proceedings are being processed, the journalist remains in custody at Kilo 7 prison in Camagüey. In a recent call with García he informed her that he had been transferred to Destacamento 11 of the prison without being given an explanation for the reasons, according to La Hora de Cuba.
García called for continued public attention to the case.
"Let there continue to be coverage of Henry's situation, so this is not just another case," she said to Martí Noticias.
The journalist also conveyed Constantin's gratitude to the media outlets, organisations and individuals who have supported his family and have spoken out about his imprisonment.
Constantin, regional vice-president of the Inter-American Press Society, was detained after appearing at a summons at the Second Unit of the Camagüey Police.
Source: Google News CU — Crime