Cuba releases political prisoners, but crackdown on civic freedoms remains

Introduction

IACHR and HRW sound alarm on systematic repression of critics

On 4th December 2024, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) condemned the increasing repression in Cuba against dissenting voices and opposition figures amid the ongoing social and economic crisis. Throughout the second half of 2024, the IACHR recorded persistent patterns of repression, particularly aimed at journalists, activists and political opponents.

These practices included internet disruptions, house arrests, surveillance, arbitrary detentions, fines, interrogations and criminalisation of protesters. The IACHR urged the government to cease its use of intimidation tactics and to guarantee the full exercise of fundamental freedoms.

Likewise, in its 2025 report, Human Rights Watch documented that government critics face the threat of criminal prosecution and lack access to due process, including the right to fair and public hearings before a competent, independent and impartial tribunal. “In practice, the judiciary is subordinate to the executive branch. The government controls virtually all media in Cuba, restricts access to outside information and periodically censors independent journalists and critics.”

Although access to the internet has increased, enabling activists to communicate, the authorities routinely block access to numerous news websites within Cuba. They also impose targeted and, at times, widespread restrictions on mobile phone data.

Association

Activists face arbitrary detentions and intimidation

On 8th November 2024, state security forces arbitrarily detained José Gabriel Barrenechea Chávez, accusing him of leading a protest on 7th November in Encrucijada, Villa Clara. According to media reports, the protest, which called for the restoration of electricity following prolonged power outages in the region, remained peaceful. The authorities intend to charge Barrenechea Chávez with sedition for allegedly inciting the protest.

On 5th December 2024, Barrenechea Chávez received his second family visit since being transferred to the La Pendiente detention facility in Villa Clara. Media reports indicated that his health has deteriorated, raising concerns about his condition.

In mid-November 2024, nearly 200 activists, journalists and politicians issued a public letter calling for Barrenechea Chávez’s release, asserting that his detention is politically motivated.

On 2nd December 2024, state security forces summoned activist Luis Wilber Aguilar Bravo Rivera and his family to the Ninth Station of Capri, where an officer confronted them in the presence of their two granddaughters. During the interrogation, the officer informed Aguilar Bravo Rivera that he had no right to express himself on social media and threatened to invoke a law restricting the reporting of human rights violations. After several hours of threats and interrogation, Wilber Aguilar Bravo and his family were released.

On 19th December 2024, Wilber Aguilar Bravo and his wife, Rosario Rivera, learned of serious human rights violations against political prisoner Mackyanis Román Rodríguez, Rosario Rivera's niece. In response, Wilber Aguilar publicly denounced the lack of medical care at the women’s detention centre “Mujeres de Occidente”.

According to the information received by the IACHR, state agents have continuously surveilled Wilber Aguilar Bravo since 2022 due to his human rights work. The frequency and intensity of threats and intimidation have escalated, including constant surveillance of the family residence, restrictions on his freedom of movement, and retaliation against family members. This has included harassment, fines and restrictions on benefits for his detained son, who has been deprived of his liberty in Havana since July 2021, allegedly for his participation in the protests that took place in July 2021.

In response, on 30th January 2025, the IACHR granted precautionary measures in favour of Wilber Aguilar Bravo Rivera and his family, considering that he is in a serious and urgent situation of risk of irreparable harm to his rights.

On 18th February 2025, police summoned academic activist Jenny Pantoja Torres for questioning at a police station in Havana. Shortly after, police officers arbitrarily detained her outside her residence and released her several hours later. According to the press freedom organisation Article 19, authorities linked the detention to an unpaid fine imposed in November 2023 after they had previously detained her while she attended the trial of fellow activist Alina Bárbara López. Pantoja Torres refuses to pay the fine, asserting that doing so would constitute an admission of guilt.

This incident forms part of a broader pattern of intimidation against Pantoja Torres. As previously reported by the CIVICUS Monitor, in June 2024, she was briefly detained and later dismissed from the University of Medical Sciences in Havana. Article 19 has recorded 52 attacks on 41 activists in January 2025 alone.

Cuba’s political prisoner releases called “unjust and incomplete”

On 15th January 2025, Cuban authorities announced the release of some prisoners as part of a process linked to discussions with the Vatican. According to France 24, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the releases align with “the spirit of the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025 declared by His Holiness,” referring to the Vatican’s tradition of granting pardons and promoting acts of mercy every 25 years.

The government informed Pope Francis of its decision to gradually release 553 convicts, asserting that authorities are exploring “legal and humanitarian avenues” for implementation. As reported by media outlets, authorities have released prisoners under conditional and humanitarian measures. The government has applied parole, which may be granted after serving a third or half of a sentence or demonstrating good conduct, and extrapenal licences, which apply on humanitarian grounds. Among the first people released were Lisdani and Lisdiani Rodríguez, detained for participating in mass protests in July 2021.

On 16th January 2025, authorities released José Daniel Ferrer, recognised as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. Ferrer, the leader of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), has opposed the Cuban government for years and has faced multiple arrests and detentions. He had been imprisoned for over three years following his arrest in July 2021.

Authorities halted releases following the inauguration of United States President Donald Trump but resumed them on 27th and 28th February 2025. At least 11 political prisoners were released under conditional measures. According to El País, the government characterised these releases as “benefits of early release,” asserting that the persons remain subject to re-incarceration and are not officially recognised as political prisoners. The conditions imposed prohibit them from participating in protests or making critical statements about the government in the press or on social media.

By early March 2025, the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights (Observatorio Cubano de Derechos Humanos, OCDH) had documented the release of at least 212 political prisoners, verifying these figures through direct confirmation with those released or their families. The OCDH described the release process as unjust and incomplete.

Amnesty International has called for the immediate release of all people unjustly imprisoned for exercising their rights in Cuba, particularly those recognised as prisoners of conscience. As of 2025, more than 600 people remain in detention for participating in protests since 2021. Nine people recognised as prisoners of conscience—Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Maykel Castillo Pérez (Osorbo), José Daniel Ferrer García, Loreto Hernández García, Donaida Pérez Paseiro, Roberto Pérez Fonseca, Félix Navarro, Saylí Navarro, and Luis Robles—remain deprived of liberty.

Cuba faces scrutiny over human rights abuses against women defenders

In October 2024, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women reviewed Cuba’s international obligations regarding women’s rights. Under its ninth periodic report, the Committee expressed concerns over measures restricting the freedom of peaceful assembly, including the Law on Associations (Law No. 54/85), which limits independent women’s organisations. It also noted provisions in the Penal Code that criminalise foreign funding and increase penalties for broadly defined offences such as “public disorder” and “contempt.”

The Committee further raised concerns regarding consistent reports of threats, harassment, gender-based violence, arbitrary detentions and defamation campaigns targeting women activists and advocates for LGBTQI+ rights. Additionally, it expressed concern over violations of due process and fair trial rights for women detained for expressing dissenting views, including reports of disproportionate sentences, ill-treatment and restrictions on family visits, particularly in cases involving political detainees.

In response, the Committee issued several recommendations, urging Cuban authorities to:

• Repeal the Law on Associations to allow for the establishment of independent women’s associations.
• Refrain from using Penal Code provisions to unduly restrict the legitimate work of women activists and independent civil society organisations.
• Ensure a safe and enabling environment for women human rights defenders and journalists to carry out their legitimate work without fear of reprisals.
• Guarantee that all women in detention, particularly women political prisoners, have access to regular family visits, especially detained mothers.

Expression

Detention and harassment of journalists

On 13th January 2025, state security forces arbitrarily detained journalist Niober García Fournier, a collaborator with CubaNet, in Guantánamo. His wife, Idilsa Bailli Rodríguez, reported that the authorities held García Fournier at the Provincial Operations Unit. She was uncertain about the reasons for his detention. According to the Cuban Institute for the Freedom of Expression and Press (Instituto Cubano por la Libertad de Expresión y Prensa, ICLEP), he has been charged with “usurpation of legal capacity,” a common accusation used by the government against independent journalists.

Just days before his detention, García Fournier had been verbally summoned on 9th January 2025 to appear at the Provincial Operations Unit of Guantánamo. Major Caraballo, identified as the second head of Criminal Instruction at State Security in the province, along with five other officers, visited his home and instructed him to attend the unit, without providing any explanation for the summons.

During his detention, García Fournier was interrogated about his journalistic activities, with authorities stating that he did not have the right to engage in journalism. He was told that the charge of “usurpation of legal capacity” stemmed from the claim that he was not a registered journalist and lacked the authorisation to practise journalism. “I imagine this is due to the complaint I made about my migration regulation and also to harass me. They don’t lose the habit of bothering, sowing discord, threatening, and doing all we know they do,” said García Fournier.

On 30th December 2024, García Fournier and his wife, Idilsa Bailli Rodríguez, visited Revolution Square to file a complaint at the “Population Attention Office of the State Council” regarding his travel ban, which had been in place for eight years. They demanded the lifting of the ban, and García Fournier believed that the subsequent detention and summons were retaliatory actions.

On the same day, State Security also detained activist Juan Luis Bravo Rodríguez, who had been summoned alongside García Fournier by Major Caraballo and another plainclothes officer. García Fournier explained, “Juan Luis was summoned with me because he helps me with my work. We were both detained together, released on the same day, and fined 7,000 Cuban pesos for the supposed crime of usurpation of legal capacity.”

Journalists forced into exile

On 23rd December 2024, journalist José Luis Tan Estrada received a summons to appear before the 3rd Police Unit in Camagüey on 9th January 2025 for interrogation regarding alleged violations of the Law on Social Communication. According to Estrada, this summons indicated the possibility of his detention and potential criminal charges.

In response, Tan Estrada’s family arranged a flight for him to Nicaragua, scheduled for 25th December 2024. However, upon arriving at José Martí International Airport in Havana, immigration authorities denied him entry to Nicaragua. The ICLEP denounced this action, asserting that it reflected collaboration between the Cuban and Nicaraguan governments.

The blocked attempt to leave Cuba resulted in a substantial financial loss for Tan Estrada, who forfeited USD 5,000 for the non-refundable ticket. At the airport, state security agents interrogated him, subjected him to a strip search and thoroughly examined his belongings. A senior official from the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) allegedly issued a direct threat, stating, “If you return to Cuba, the consequences will be severe.”

Unable to proceed to Nicaragua, Tan Estrada departed Cuba on 30th December 2024, travelling to Guyana, a country that does not require a visa for Cuban nationals. In a Facebook post, he described his departure as a forced exile, attributing it to his journalistic work and critical stance on government policies.

This case mirrors that of journalist Enrique Díaz Rodríguez, a contributor to Cubanet, who faced sustained threats and harassment from Cuban authorities. In November 2024, Díaz Rodríguez and his family sought to leave the country following repeated intimidation, including threats against his son. While in transit, during a layover in Peru, Díaz Rodríguez was informed that he would not be permitted entry into Nicaragua.

These incidents underscore an emerging pattern of transnational repression, where authoritarian regimes obstruct the movement of independent journalists and activists seeking international protection.

Court sentences two young men over social media posts

On 9th January 2025, the Provincial Court of Santiago de Cuba sentenced two young men, Félix Daniel Pérez Ruiz and Cristhian de Jesús Peña Aguilera, to five and four years in prison, respectively, for their social media activity. The court found them guilty of “propaganda against the constitutional order,” a charge frequently used by authorities to suppress dissenting voices.

The sentence also imposed additional sanctions. They were stripped of their voting rights for the duration of their sentences, had their mobile phones confiscated and were barred from leaving the country or obtaining a passport until their sentences were completed.

The case against Pérez Ruiz and Peña Aguilera stems from a social media post made by Pérez Ruiz on 7th May 2023, in which he voiced strong criticism of the Cuban government, using harsh language and calling for action against the authorities. He urged others to share his post and announced a protest in Las Tunas on 14th May 2023. According to court documents, the protest did not materialise due to intervention by the Ministry of the Interior. Peña Aguilera was convicted for amplifying the message by sharing the post from his mobile phone. The court deemed this act as furthering the call to action against the government.

The trial took place on 18th October 2024 at the El Típico prison in Las Tunas, under strict security measures imposed by police. Observers reported multiple irregularities throughout the proceedings. Two other individuals involved in the same legal case, Ana Ibis Tristá Padilla and Jarold Varona Agüero, were acquitted due to lack of evidence.

Peaceful Assembly

Protester arbitrarily detained after solo protest over food shortages

On 5th March 2025, state security forces arbitrarily detained Mayelín Carrasco Álvarez, after she participated in a solo protest at the “Ángel Fría” Square in Río Cauto, Granma province, to highlight food shortages in her community. Carrasco Álvarez, a resident of Guamo Viejo, expressed her grievances about the lack of state support, particularly regarding food insecurity, during her speech to a group of neighbours: “Nothing remains of the Revolution. Where is the Revolution that Fidel left? Where is the Revolution that Raúl left? There is no Revolution because everything has collapsed.”

According to media reports, during the peaceful demonstration, two plainclothes police officers forcibly removed Carrasco Álvarez from the square. Despite bystanders shouting, “Let her go” and “Abusers,” the officers disregarded these objections and took her into custody.

Carrasco Álvarez had previously participated in similar protests to draw attention to the lack of state support for her family, often voicing dissatisfaction with the government’s failure to assist in feeding her children. No official response or legal proceedings have been reported following her detention.