Cuba Holds 800 Political Prisoners Five Years After Protests
The Government of Cuba continues to incarcerate approximately 800 political prisoners, many of whom were detained during the July 2021 nationwide demonstrations.
Approximately 800 political prisoners remain incarcerated in Cuba five years after the massive nationwide demonstrations of July 11, 2021. Reports from Human Rights Watch, Justicia 11J, and Prisoners Defenders indicate that nearly half of these detainees were imprisoned specifically in connection with those protests.
The Cuban government is accused of utilizing unreliable evidence to secure convictions and subjecting prisoners to systemic abuses. These abuses include beatings, solitary confinement, and the denial of medical care. Rights groups highlight specific cases of judicial irregularities, such as Juan Enrique Pérez Sánchez, who was convicted using scientifically unsupported "odor traces."
Recent developments include the case of artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, who was transferred to an undisclosed location on July 9 instead of being released. In response to these conditions, international and local rights organizations are calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and an end to the systematic repression of dissent.
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