Cubans display a banner at the Eiffel Tower in support of political prisoners in Cuba.

A group of Cubans, including human rights activist defenders, unfolded a large banner this Thursday under the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris, in support of the 1,113 political prisoners in Cuba. The banner displays the faces of many of those imprisoned on the island for expressing their discontent with the Castro regime, criticizing communist policies, or demanding respect for human rights.

Meanwhile, activist Avana de la Torre joined this peaceful demonstration in the French capital, while the NGO Prisoners Defenders presented its latest report on political prisoners in Cuba. The report highlighted that all these detainees face sentences imposed without judicial oversight, which violates international standards.

During 2024, repression and human rights violations against political prisoners in Cuba have intensified. On August 4, two Cuban activists were sent to prison accused of "propaganda against the constitutional order" after being detained in Villa Marista. Subsequently, on August 29, the UN condemned the forced labor that political prisoners suffer on the island, supporting a report from the organization Prisoners Defenders on systematic human rights violations. At the beginning of September, the platform Justicia 11J reported that at least ten political prisoners attempted suicide in Cuban prisons due to the harsh conditions of confinement.

On September 11, the organization Cubalex reported that 26 people had died in custody in the first half of the year, highlighting the poor prison conditions and lack of medical attention. Days later, on September 14, a political prisoner released in Caibarién was welcomed with hugs and balloons by his family after fully serving his sentence. On September 17, José Daniel Ferrer, a Cuban opposition leader, sent a letter from prison denouncing the extreme isolation and inhumane conditions he is subjected to (more details here). On September 22, Prisoners Defenders reported a decrease in the number of political prisoners in Cuba due to several factors, including suicides and forced releases.

In October, the news continued to highlight the systematic repression on the island. On October 2, the Cuban regime rejected the appeal of five protesters from Caimanera, sentenced for their participation in protests in 2023. On October 16, a report revealed that an 81-year-old political prisoner had completed three decades in prison for attempting to overthrow the Cuban government in 1994. Finally, on October 18, the death of Gerardo Díaz Alonso was reported; he was a political prisoner who died of a heart attack while serving his sentence in Canaleta prison.