Victor Rolando Arroyo Carmona/CPJ Guest Blogger

Victor Rolando Arroyo Carmona was a journalist for the independent news agency Unión de Periodistas y Escritores de Cuba Independientes in his home province of Pinar del Río when he was handed a 26-year prison sentence for acting "against the independence or the territorial integrity of the state" under Article 91 of the penal code in April 2003.

In Pinar del Río, where the author lived, worked, and went to jail for reporting on the failings of the Cuban regime. (AP/Javier Galeano)

Being a Cuban journalist: Harassed, repressed, and jailed

The president of the tribunal looked to his right and said, “The prosecutor has the floor.” With a serious voice he pronounced the sentence: “The prosecutor ratifies the request for perpetual imprisonment for the accused, Victor Rolando Arroyo Carmona, for acts against the independence and territorial integrity of the country.”

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