Norberto Mesa Carbonell

Cases
Location of case in SG report
2019-028-001
Relevant SG report
Year of the report
2019
Country Geolocation

Latitude: 21.521757

Longitude: -77.781167

Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
Cuba
From Region
UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report
  • UN Treaty Bodies: CERD
Dates of prior UN action
30 August 2018
Type of record
Named individual
Gender
Male
Was the victim a foreign national?
No
Was the victim a minor?
No
Individual's/organization's activity

Afro-descendant and founding member of the Cofradía de la Negritud (“Black Brotherhood”)

Type of rights defended
  • Caste/Ethnic minorities' rights/Racism
Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
No
Reported trigger of reprisal

had participated in the United Nations Forum on Minority Issues and engaged with Cuba’s UPR

Engagement with UN body
  • UN Treaty Bodies: CERD
  • UN Human Rights Council: Minorities forum
  • UN Human Rights Council: UPR
Dates of engagement
November 2017
Type of attempted engagement
  • Participation in meeting on UN premises
Dates of mentioned reprisals
July 2018; 30 April 2019
Reprisal information

In July 2018, Mr. Mesa Carbonell was reportedly intimidated by State security agents with legal action against a relative if he submitted information to CERD. Due to this, Mr. Mesa Carbonell decided not to submit the alternative report.

On 30 April 2019, Mr. Mesa Carbonell was arrested by the police without charges, held in a cell overnight without access to necessary medicine or to a phone call, and released the next day.

Types of reprisals suffered
  • Family/friends/acquaintances targeted
  • Detention/Imprisonment: Release within a day
Alleged/likely perpetrators
State actors
Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
No
Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
No
Government response dates
15 October 2018; 20 June 2019
Government response content

Government responded to the Committee

On 20 June 2019, the Government responded denying the allegations, including the alleged pattern of reprisals against those who cooperate with the UN.

Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
No
Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
No
Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
No
How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
0