Cuban Man, Who Was Unlawfully Detained To Receive More Money

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Court of Appeal has increased the damages awarded to Ramon Lop, a Cuban-born man, for unlawful detention and false imprisonment.

Lop will now receive $396,200 instead of the $248,200 initially awarded by the Supreme Court.
In May 2009, immigration authorities in Grand Bahama arrested Lop on suspicion that he had been attempting to take part in human smuggling.

He was brought to New Providence and held unlawfully at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre for eight months.

Lop was never charged nor taken before a magistrate as required by the Immigration Act.

However, during his detention, unsuccessful efforts were made through the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Immigration to secure his return to the USA or to Cuba. He remained at the Detention Centre until December 2009.

Following his release in December 2009, Lop was charged and convicted in 2010 of shop-breaking and stealing and served time at Her Majesty’s Prison for both these
offences. He later served a one-month sentence in 2014 for vagrancy.

Upon his release from prison on 14 November 2014, he was handed over to the Immigration authorities and detained once again at the Detention Centre on Carmichael Road.

He languished at the Detention Centre for a period of two years nine months or until August 4, 2017 after making a successful habeas corpus application in the Supreme Court.