On June 12, the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR) made public its decision to hold the Cuban government responsible for the assassination of pro-democracy leaders Oswaldo Payá and Harold Cepero who were killed after a car crash provoked by Cuban state agents on July 22, 2012. The IACHR also stated that Cuba was responsible for violations of the right to due process and judicial guarantees of Ángel Carromero, a Spanish citizen and witness, who was also present in the car crash that killed Payá and Cepero. This unprecedented decision comes after 10 years of litigation before the IACHR by Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights on behalf of the Payá and Cepero families. Rosa María Payá, daughter of Oswaldo Payá and founder of Cuba Decide, stated that “This is not just a victory for our families but for all the victims of the dictatorship and all Cubans who keep fighting for democracy and freedom.”

Learn more about the IACHR’s decision here.