The analysis of the case of Leonardo Fernández Otaño identifies academic, professional, and personal reprisals resulting from his participation in peaceful demonstrations in Cuba.
The Coalition for Academic Freedom in the Americas (CAFA) has published a new legal report examining the case of Cuban historian and researcher Leonardo M. Fernández Otaño, concluding that the measures taken against him constitute violations of academic freedom.
Prepared by experts from the University of Monterrey (Mexico) and the Human Rights Clinic of the Human Rights Research and Education Centre at the University of Ottawa (Canada), the report analyzes Fernández Otaño’s expulsion from the Doctoral Program in Historical Sciences at the University of Havana and his subsequent dismissal from the Cuban Academy of Sciences, following his participation in peaceful demonstrations in July 2021.
According to the report, these measures were not based on academic or professional criteria, but rather constituted reprisals linked to his views and civic engagement.
Inter-American Principles on Academic Freedom and University Autonomy
The analysis is grounded primarily in the Inter-American Principles on Academic Freedom and University Autonomy, adopted by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in 2021, as well as other international human rights standards developed within the United Nations system.
Among its main findings, the report concludes that:
- Leonardo Fernández Otaño’s expulsion from the doctoral program at the University of Havana violated his right to academic freedom.
- His dismissal from the Cuban Academy of Sciences constituted discrimination based on political opinion and an illegitimate restriction on his academic and research activities.
- The acts of intimidation, harassment, and threats directed at him and his family amounted to an additional violation of his academic freedom.
The report emphasizes that academic freedom protects not only teaching and research activities within higher education institutions, but also the participation of members of the academic community in public debate and peaceful demonstrations related to their fields of expertise.
The full report is available for consultation.
Access the full report here: The Case of Leonardo Fernández Otaño – Legal Report: International Standards on Academic Freedom