After an almost four-hour hearing, a judge in the state of Texas, U.S., granted asylum to Cuban journalist Serafín Morán Santiago, who had been detained since last April, according to the freedom of the press organization Fundamedios USA.
According to a press release signed by that organization and by Reporters Without Borders (RSF, for its initials in French) – two of the entities that have supported Morán since his detention – the asylum was granted on the grounds that Morán "was the subject of torture and persecution for his work as an independent journalist in Cuba who criticized his government.”
Serafín Morán Santiago. (Facebook).Although the entities said they were “elated” by the judge's decision on Oct. 11, they said the journalist "should never have been detained in the first place” by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE).
“RSF is deeply relieved that Serafin Moran Santiago has been granted asylum in the United States, though we are frustrated that he had to spend six months in a Texas detention facility before being released,” said Margaux Ewen, director of RSF’s North America bureau, according to a joint release. “Cuba is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist, and it brings my colleagues and I great peace of mind to know that he can now work and live safely from the United States instead.
“We are happy for Serafin Moran’s release and that justice was done in his case. No journalist whose life is at risk should be denied asylum to the USA, a country that considers freedom of expression one of its most important rights, and we hope this case can function as an example for other American courts in how to deal with cases of exiled journalists seeking political asylum,” said Dagmar Thiel, Director of Fundamedios USA, the release added.
Morán Santiago arrived on U.S. soil from Mexico on April 13 and handed over his documentation to ICE, requesting asylum, RSF previously reported. From that moment he was taken to a detention center in South Texas where he remained until Oct. 11.
In addition to the support of RSF and Fundamedios USA, legal entities such as Ballard Spahr and American Gateways provided pro bono legal assistance to Morán during the process. In addition, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and RSF gave testimony as experts during the asylum hearing, Fundamedios USA reported.
The journalist had a hearing to discuss his release on bail on Aug. 24, but it was denied.
Upon his release, the journalist thanked all the organizations that helped him during this time. "I also want to thank my friends and especially my mother and daughters," he said according to the statement.
Morán left Cuba out of fear for his life, these organizations reported at the time. He arrived first in Guyana, then moved to Mexico where he was in a refugee shelter for migrants for a little over a month. When the Cuban Embassy in Mexico allegedly began to harass him, he sought asylum in the United States, Fundamedios USA reported.
As explained by the journalist, in Cuba he was the victim of aggression, harassment, multiple detentions, abduction and torture. In June 2016, he was allegedly abducted and beaten by Cuban security officials, according to RSF. In September 2017, he was allegedly arrested and his equipment confiscated after interviewing an opposition leader, RSF added.
As Fundamedios USA explained at the time, Morán had also "successfully" passed the credible fear test that is carried out in the U.S. to grant asylum.
According to the RSF 2018 World Press Freedom Index, Cuba "continues to be the worst offender of freedom of the press in Latin America, ranking 172nd out of 180 countries.” The U.S. is ranked 45 after losing two places in 2017.
