Civil Rights Defender of the Year Henry Constantin Detained in Cuba
Henry Constantin, editor-in-chief of the independent Cuban news outlet La Hora de Cuba and a recipient of the Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award 2026, has been detained by Cuban authorities and remains deprived of his liberty. According to reports, he is being accused of “disobedience”. For several hours, neither his family nor his colleagues knew where he was.
Henry Constantin was detained last week but released shortly afterwards. Two days ago, he was detained again. Following his arrest, his family and colleagues had no information about his whereabouts for several hours. It was only yesterday that his family received confirmation that he was being held at a police station.
Civil Rights Defenders is monitoring the situation.
“We are deeply concerned by the detention of Henry Constantin. For years, he has been subjected to harassment and arbitrary detentions because of his journalistic work. The international community must now keep the spotlight on his situation and clearly demand that he be released and that his rights are respected,” says Hanna Gerdes, Chair of the Board of Civil Rights Defenders.
Routinely harassed
La Hora de Cuba was awarded the Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award 2026 together with the Georgian news platform Netgazeti for their courageous work defending freedom of expression, independent journalism, and democracy under increasingly repressive conditions.
The newsroom operates in one of the world’s most restrictive media environments and reports on issues including arbitrary arrests, political trials, and human rights violations.
When the award was announced in April, Henry Constantin described being a journalist in Cuba as “a survival exercise.” He explained that arrests and harassment had become a recurring part of everyday life for independent journalists on the island. The events of recent days underscore just how precarious the situation remains for free and independent media in Cuba.
“The Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award is not only about recognising courage. It is also about protection. When a human rights defender becomes known far beyond their country’s borders, it becomes more difficult for those in power to silence, threaten, or imprison them without the world noticing. That is why international attention on Henry’s situation is particularly important right now,” says Hanna Gerdes.
Read more on La Hora de Cuba’s Facebook page.
