Sonia Garro, Optimistic in Prison Remains a Lady in White

Sonia Garro, Optimistic in Prison Remains a Lady in White / Lilianne Ruiz
Posted on November 2, 2013

HAVANA, Cuba, November 1, 2013, www.cubanet.org.- The trial of the White
Lady Sonia Garro, which had been scheduled for today, was suspended
yesterday without explanation by the authorities.

Her lawyer, Amelia Rodriguez Cala, appeared before the People's Court to
finalize the details on Thursday, October 31, and no one could explain
the cause of this last minute decision.

Looking for first-hand information, Cubanet spotted Yamilé Garro, sister
of the accused, who had visited her that morning in Guatao women's prison.

According to her sister, Sonia is optimistic about her defense by the
attorney Rodríguez Cala, who historically has defended those prosecuted
for political reasons.

Remembering what happened on March 18, 2012 — the day that assault
troops stormed Garro 's house, within a few hours of the visit of Pope
Benedict XVI to the island — the sister of the defendant contends that
she did not commit the crimes for which charges have brought by the
prosecution.

"It all began with an act of repudiation," she explained.

A crowd organized and led by State Security stationed themselves around
the Garros' house, in Marianao, to repudiate them. The Garro couple
reacted by shouting "Down with Fidel!" and placing anti-government
posters in the doorway of their home. This provoked the troops to
violently storm their house. Sonia was injured in the leg with a rubber
bullet.

It's worth remembering that, on the eve of the visit of the Supreme
Pontiff to the Island, all the human rights activists and political
opponents ,who State Security and the top leadership of the country
thought would attend the Papal mass in the Plaza of the Revolution, were
detained.

Garro 's lawyer also filed a request Thursday for a change of custody,
which would involve the immediate release of her client who is awaiting
trial.

In a telephone interview, Dr. Rodriguez Cala, told this reporter, "I
place my hopes in the Court. The fact that these people are political
opponents should not determine the sentence. Ideally the trial would
have already been held."

Sonia's 17-year-old daughter, Elaine Bocourt Garro, is waiting for her
at home. When asked what she can tell us about her mother, she struggles
to hold back her tears and then tells us, "I miss her greatly. I love
her, she's my mother. I need her. Also, they're holding her on a whim…
she hasn't done anything."

Inconvenient for the Jailers

Garro has been in prison without trial for one year and seven months. In
all this time, she has experienced very harsh conditions. From being
locked up in solitary confinement for 20 days, to the gunshot wound in
her leg being infected by Staphylococcus aureus, to suffering beatings
by several armed guards.

This latest incident, according to her sister, dates from a few months
ago, but she can not remember the exact date. It happened when Garro
forgot her card to make phone calls and had to return to the detachment
where one of the officers was mistreating a prisoner. Garro said facing
the jailer who, if he was in such a bad mood, it would have been better
not to have gone to work.

"It wasn't even a minute before several guards jumped on her and she was
beaten with batons," Yamilé said.

Incredible as it may seem, she adds, "On the medical certificate which
was issued several days later, it said Sonia was the aggressor and she
had attacked the guards, who were victims."

Since a month and a half ago, Garro has been suffering from a kidney
infection. She still hasn't received medical treatment.They just put her
on painkillers and send her back to her cell.

The prison authorities tell her sister that they don't have any budget
for this type of medicine.

"This isn't new. When she was infected with staphylococcus, they said it
was due to lack of vitamins and it was just a matter of taking vitamins
and iron. Now she had Staphylococcus aureus on her skin and boils erupt
periodically," says her sister.

She also says that, in prison, Garro witnessed and reported an
unfortunate event known as "the Mutiny on the Mattresses."

The guards didn't allow a group of prisoners to leave the laundry area
and they began to protest. The reaction of the guards was to lash out
against them. Therefore, the prisoners rebelled burning a mattress.

Lilianne Ruiz, Cubanet, 1 November 2013

Source: "Sonia Garro, Optimistic in Prison Remains a Lady in White /
Lilianne Ruiz | Translating Cuba" -
http://translatingcuba.com/sonia-garro-optimistic-in-prison-remains-a-lady-in-white-lilianne-ruiz/