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The United States government denied its involvement in the agreement between the Cuban regime and the Catholic Church for the release of 553 incarcerated individuals.
A State Department official revealed to the media Martí Noticias that no instance of the government had intervened in the process, while also denouncing the regime's harassment of many of those recently released from prison.
"United States did not participate in any agreement that the Cuban regime has reached with the Vatican and urges the regime to release all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally," said the official.
On another note, he referred to the accusations from organizations advocating for human rights, which have pointed out that only about 230 political prisoners who were unjustly detained have been released. Many of them, he said, "are still facing harassment and restrictions."
According to Martí Noticias, the source recalled that the diplomatic representatives of the U.S. Embassy in Havana systematically meet with the families of those detained for political reasons, and with some of the released political prisoners, "to demonstrate the strong support of the United States for their human rights and fundamental freedoms."
The announcement of this release process was made on January 14, coinciding with the Biden administration's decision to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The Cuban regime stated that the decision was the result of an agreement mediated by the Vatican and that it included protesters from July 11, 2021.
Cuban authorities did not provide an official list of the names of the inmates who benefitted, nor did they offer details on the timeline for implementing this measure.
This week, the People's Supreme Court (TSP) of Cuba announced the completion of the process. The vice president of this governmental body, Maricela Sosa Ravelo, stated that the procedure was concluded "successfully" and was divided into two phases: 378 applications approved in January and 175 in February.
Data collected by the organization Justicia 11J indicates that 202 released individuals are political prisoners. A list contains the names of each of them.
A significant number of those released are common prisoners, but there are no official figures to determine the exact proportion, although collected testimonies suggest that most of those benefiting from the regime's measure were not prisoners of conscience.
The Cuban government only indicated that the 553 beneficiaries had been convicted of "various crimes" without specifying the type of offenses committed. The organization Prisoners Defenders increased the figure with new information and noted that only 230 released individuals are political prisoners.
Frequently asked questions about the release of political prisoners in Cuba
What was the role of the United States in the release of political prisoners in Cuba?
The United States denied its involvement in the agreement between the Cuban regime and the Catholic Church for the release of political prisoners. According to a State Department official, no part of the U.S. government intervened in the process, although they have expressed support for the human rights of those released.
How many political prisoners were released according to human rights organizations?
Various human rights organizations, such as Justicia 11J and the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights, have reported that around 212 to 231 political prisoners have been released as part of the release process announced by the Cuban regime.
What are the conditions of freedom for released political prisoners?
Released political prisoners must meet certain conditions, such as regularly appearing before a judge and complying with additional penalties. In case of non-compliance, the benefit of release could be revoked and the inmates could return to prison.
What was the role of the Vatican in the releases of prisoners in Cuba?
The Vatican played a mediating role in the process of releasing prisoners. The agreement between the Cuban regime and the Vatican aimed to promote reconciliation and hope, coinciding with the Holy Year called by Pope Francis. However, the regime has not been transparent about the details of the agreement.
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