Several human rights organizations, both Cuban and international, have questioned the latest process of publishing prisoners in Cuba and explains that it was “vague, incomplete, unfair and fraudulent”.
The organizations published several reports after the Cuban authorities announced the conclusion of the publication process for 553 people who were “convicted of various crimes” almost two months after the Foreign Ministry in Cuba was concluded that this measure was part of an agreement with the Vatican.
Prisoner defenders (PD) pointed out that “the Cuban regime has announced the” gradual release “by” prison performance “for 553 inmates. In reality, none were actually published.”
It is argued that only “230 political prisoners were released under the draconian conditions of a” family doctor “, and” 323 of the 553 are common criminals that the regime has passed as a political prisoner “. In addition, this was confirmed by a thorough study that also showed that more than 85% of the 230 political prisoners released Had the right to an open regime. “
Of them, 183 members were participants in peaceful protests, 41 human rights activists and six artists. No independent journalists were published, as detailed by PD.
The NGO Amnesty International (KI) described the process as “connected to irregularities” and found that “state transparency” was missing and does not guarantee that the published “are not subject to any new arrests”. The regime itself has threatened to prescribe it on national television if they do not “adhere to the conditions of their release”.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) For his part, it described it as “opaque, arbitrary and unfair”, while the Cuban observatory of human rights (OCDH) accused the island government of deceiving “the international community”, with a measure that “incomplete and unjust”.
The platform Justicia 11j emphasized the “lack of transparency”, “opacity” and “arbitrarily” when choosing the beneficiaries and argues that the process is not “real progress in human rights, but a political manipulation tactics”.
One of the main criticism of NGOs is that most of the released prisoners and not for political reasons are frequent prisoners, as PD argued.
When Washington announced the exclusion of Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, it was mentioned that this decision was associated with an agreement mediated by the Vatican – whereby Havana would publish numerous political prisoners who were locked up according to the protests of July 11, 2021.
In February, organizations reported seven new ones Political prisoners on the island who bring a total of 1150.
Frequently asked questions about the release of political prisoners in Cuba
What irregularities have been reported in the release of political prisoners in Cuba?
The process was described as “opaque, incomplete, unfair and fraudulent” of various human rights organizations. They condemn that the regime has mixed political prisoners with common criminals and that many of the released persons have long been entitled to freedom or an open regime. In addition, the publications have taken place in the context of a “prison sentence” segimes with serious restrictions.
How many political prisoners are currently in Cuba?
According to the defenders of the prisoners, There are currently 1,150 political prisoners in CubaMany of them are arrested for participation in the protests on July 11, 2021. The recent publications have not led to a significant reduction in this number.
With what conditions are the released political prisoners opposite in Cuba?
The free political prisoners are under a “prison house regime”Which implies serious restrictions, such as B. a ban on leaving their cities, restrictions on public expression, and the obligation to report the authorities regularly. This does not represent full freedom and they could be incarated again if they do not meet the imposed conditions.
What role did the Vatican play in the publication of prisoners in Cuba?
The Vatican conveyed in negotiations on the release of prisoners in Cuba, which was presented by Pope Francis as the “gesture of hope”. However, Human rights organizations criticize that the process has no transparency and not released all political prisoners As originally expected.
