Ángel Santiesteban Prats
Ángel Santiesteban Prats is a renowned Cuban writer and blogger. He has been published around the world and has received various literary prizes, including the Alejo Carpentier Award organized by the Cuban Book Institute in 2001 for his book "The Children Nobody Wanted" and the Casa de las Américas Award in 2006 for his book "Blessed Are Those Who Mourn." In March 2009, he started his blog, also titled "The Children Nobody Wanted."
On December 8, 2012 he was condemned to five years in prison by the Castro regime for his criticism of the dictatorship in his blog. For his open opposition to the regime, Santiesteban has been the subject of continuous harassment and accusations resulting now in arbitrary imprisonment. The regime tried to hide Santiesteban in the Salvador Allende military hospital under the excuse of a dermatological treatment he is receiving, in what his family and lawyer says was meant to avoid him having access to talk to the Commission of National and International Journalists accredited to visit his previous holding spot, La Lima Prison. Following this, Santiesteban was refused by authorities to be taken to a proper hospital and has since been moved to several other detention facilities around the country.
Ángel Santiesteban Prats was RELEASED on July 17, 2015.