Repression
Iran protests: Khamenei denounces 'Trump's vandals,' vows no retreat as death toll hits 51 amid blackout
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Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in a January 9 national address, branded protesters 'vandals' and 'saboteurs' seeking to please U.S. President Donald Trump—as demonstrations sparked by economic crisis on December 28 spread to over 50 cities under a near-total internet blackout, with rights groups reporting at least 51 deaths including nine children. Trump warned of severe consequences, while European leaders and the UN condemned the crackdown.
Caridad Silvente, mother of Cuban YouTuber Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente, known as Anna Bensi, was interrogated by police in Havana and faces criminal charges that could result in five years in prison for sharing images of an agent.
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Ariel Manuel Martín Barroso, a professor at the University of Sancti Spíritus, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in September 2025 for painting phrases against the Communist Party regime. Detained on February 25, 2025, he was held incommunicado for five or six months and suffers from severe depression, according to family sources. The case highlights repression against critical academics in Cuba.