Cuban Mother Beaten, Alleges State Violence Against Political Prisoner Son

A mother in Cuba, Moraíma Rodriguez Batista, has accused Cuban authorities of beating her after she requested her son's release from prison. Her son, Alexander Diaz Rodriguez, is a political prisoner suffering from throat cancer. Rodriguez Batista’s face shows severe bruising in the video. "They are killing him slowly, and they want to kill me too," she said in the video. The incident reportedly occurred on the morning of the 15th or 16th. Rodriguez Batista had visited the Provincial Courts in Pinar del Río to submit an extra-penal request for her son's release. Human rights groups have expressed concern over the treatment of political prisoners in Cuba. Rodriguez Batista's case underscores the ongoing struggle for human rights and freedom of speech on the island.