A human rights organization in Cuba has filed a habeas corpus petition on behalf of dissident artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, demanding information on his whereabouts and legal status. Cubalex, an organization that provides legal counsel to dissidents and documents human rights violations on the island, filed the petition Monday, stating that neither Alcántara's friends nor activist groups know his current location.
The legal action comes as Alcántara, 38, was removed from Guanajay prison last week, two days before his five-year sentence was set to expire on July 9. The sentence, imposed in 2022, was for charges including public disorder, contempt, and disrespect toward national symbols. Alcántara was initially arrested on July 11, 2021.
Cubalex noted on its X account that judicial authorities have a 72-hour deadline to respond to the petition, highlighting the "critical situation of vulnerability and lack of protection" surrounding the artist. The organization operates from outside Cuba.
The Cuban government did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
Alcántara has been designated a political prisoner by organizations such as Amnesty International, a designation that the Cuban government does not acknowledge. In a similar case, activist José Daniel Ferrer was released from prison in October 2025 and immediately traveled to the United States.