Sentences of seven and 10 years in prison are required against the two artists, in particular for disturbing public order.

“We made the official request (to access the court) on behalf of the European Union, but so far we have not had a response,” a diplomat who only identified himself told reporters. as “representative” of the German Embassy.

The six diplomats continued to wait Monday morning, not far from the popular municipal court of Marianao, in the west of the capital.

In this trial are at stake “basic human rights, in our opinion, such as freedom, the right to free expression and to assemble freely”, underlined the diplomat, accompanied by colleagues from Sweden, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom.

Relatives of the two artists arrived earlier in the morning at the court, without making statements to the press.

Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara, 34, arrested on July 11, 2021 when thousands of Cubans demonstrated in the streets of the island to cries of “We are hungry” and “Freedom”, is one of the leaders of the collective of protest artists San Isidro launched in 2018.

He is being held in the Guanajay high security prison in the province of Artemisa (center) and is charged with various crimes, including incitement to commit a crime, aggravated contempt, disturbing public order, all prior to July 11 .

According to an audio recording of the artist released last week via social networks by several activists, the authorities offered him to leave Cuba in exchange for his freedom, but he refused.

The prosecution is demanding ten years in prison for Maykel Osorbo, 39, arrested on May 18, 2021 and accused of disturbing public order, contempt of justice and assault.

He is the co-author of the song “Patria y vida”, which has become a symbol of anti-government protests in Cuba and crowned by a Grammy Latino.

The two artists, whose release Washington has been calling for months, have been declared prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International, on behalf of all detained during the historic July 2021 protests, which left one dead and dozens of injured.

Of the 1,395 people arrested, 728 are still being held according to the NGO Cubalex, based in Miami.