Cubans recount border pushback abuse before ECHR ruling.

Source: lemonde.fr

TL;DR

The story at a glance

Four Cuban asylum seekers—Sonia Hernandez, Carlos Cruz, Yarisledy Rodriguez, and Maria (pseudonym)—recount being pushed back repeatedly at the Lithuania-Belarus border in spring 2022, enduring cold, hunger, and guard abuse after crossing from Belarus. They had fled Cuba following protests on July 11, 2021. The article appears now ahead of an expected ruling from the European Court of Human Rights on their case against Lithuania.[[1]](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/04/23/i-was-so-exhausted-i-started-hitting-myself-they-laughed-four-cuban-asylum-seekers-recount-their-ordeal-at-europe-s-borders_6752738_4.html#)

Key points

Details and context

The four crossed into Lithuania from Belarus multiple times in March-April 2022 but were pushed back at gunpoint despite asylum requests, according to their accounts and ECHR filings; they were eventually allowed in on April 13, 2022, detained, then granted asylum with residence permits.[[3]](https://idpbarcelona.net/ca/deflecting-reality-by-viewing-migration-through-the-lens-of-emergency)

This fits documented patterns of pushbacks at EU-Belarus borders since 2021, with Lithuania legalizing some practices amid claims of Belarus instrumentalizing migrants; NGOs report thousands of cases yearly.[[5]](https://www.ecchr.eu/en/case/assessing-the-intrinsic-unlawfulness-of-pushbacks)[[6]](https://www.globaldetentionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/January-2026-Lithuania-Follow-Up-CESCR-GDP-and-HRMI-Amended.pdf)

The asylum seekers' Cuban protest background underscores political persecution claims, distinct from typical migrant flows at this border.[[1]](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/04/23/i-was-so-exhausted-i-started-hitting-myself-they-laughed-four-cuban-asylum-seekers-recount-their-ordeal-at-europe-s-borders_6752738_4.html#)

Key quotes

"I was so exhausted, I started hitting myself. They laughed." — One of the four Cuban asylum seekers, per article title (full context paywalled).[[1]](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/04/23/i-was-so-exhausted-i-started-hitting-myself-they-laughed-four-cuban-asylum-seekers-recount-their-ordeal-at-europe-s-borders_6752738_4.html#)

"In Ciego de Avila, we marched all the way to the party headquarters demanding freedom." — Yarisledy Rodriguez.[[1]](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/04/23/i-was-so-exhausted-i-started-hitting-myself-they-laughed-four-cuban-asylum-seekers-recount-their-ordeal-at-europe-s-borders_6752738_4.html#)

Why it matters

Pushbacks challenge Europe's asylum commitments under international law, especially non-refoulement, amid hybrid threats from Belarus and Russia. For asylum seekers like these Cubans, it means repeated exposure to violence, deprivation, and limbo before any protection. Watch the ECHR ruling, expected soon, which could set precedents for border practices but may account for security contexts.[[1]](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/04/23/i-was-so-exhausted-i-started-hitting-myself-they-laughed-four-cuban-asylum-seekers-recount-their-ordeal-at-europe-s-borders_6752738_4.html#)[[2]](https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-221976)

FAQ

Q: What ordeal did the Cuban asylum seekers face at the Lithuania-Belarus border?

A: They were pushed back multiple times over two weeks in spring 2022, trapped in a cold forest, hungry, and abused by guards from both sides despite requesting asylum. Lithuanian guards allegedly used force and guns; they were eventually admitted on April 13, detained, then granted asylum. Their accounts form the basis of the ECHR case.[[1]](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/04/23/i-was-so-exhausted-i-started-hitting-myself-they-laughed-four-cuban-asylum-seekers-recount-their-ordeal-at-europe-s-borders_6752738_4.html#)[[3]](https://idpbarcelona.net/ca/deflecting-reality-by-viewing-migration-through-the-lens-of-emergency)

Q: Why did the four Cubans flee their country?

A: They participated in July 11, 2021 protests against the communist regime over food/medicine shortages and health crisis handling; Rodriguez's friends were jailed. Rodriguez marched in Ciego de Avila; Hernandez and Cruz in Havana. They left Cuba in 2021.[[1]](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/04/23/i-was-so-exhausted-i-started-hitting-myself-they-laughed-four-cuban-asylum-seekers-recount-their-ordeal-at-europe-s-borders_6752738_4.html#)

Q: What is the status of their legal case against Lithuania?

A: The European Court of Human Rights Grand Chamber heard arguments on February 12, 2025 in C.O.C.G. and Others v. Lithuania; a ruling is expected soon. It alleges violations from pushbacks and detention without individual assessments.[[2]](https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-221976)

Q: How does this fit into broader border issues?

A: Pushbacks occurred amid Belarus-Russia hybrid war tactics using migrants; Lithuania reported over 11,200 in 2022 alone, with ongoing NGO documentation of thousands yearly.[[4]](https://euobserver.com/14563/lithuanias-pushbacks-of-cubans-into-freezing-forests-cast-long-shadows-over-rights)