Alarming record: Cuba reports the highest number of political prisoners

Cuba closed the month of August 2025 with 1,185 political and conscience prisoners, the highest figure recorded to date, according to a report this Wednesday from the organization Prisoners Defenders, which described the data as a new monthly record on the island.

In its most recent report, the Madrid-based organization documented the admission of 13 new political prisoners just in August, while four individuals were released, three for completing their sentences in full and one due to forced expatriation, that of activist Aymara Nieto Muñoz, who was released on the condition of leaving the country. Nieto was taken directly from prison to the airport, unable to say goodbye to her eldest daughter, and was deported to the Dominican Republic along with her husband and younger daughters.

From July 1, 2021, to the end of August 2025, Prisoners Defenders has recorded a total of 1,882 individuals classified as political prisoners in Cuba, almost all of whom are citizens without political affiliation who have been imprisoned after peacefully protesting against the regime.

The report also reveals that there are currently 472 prisoners with serious medical conditions and 41 with severe mental disorders without adequate treatment, in conditions that the organization qualifies as inhumane.

Among the new detainees is Adrián González Pérez, a self-employed worker from Guantánamo, arrested after protesting against an arbitrary fine. He suffers from a mental condition that makes him particularly vulnerable. Also included on the list is the young Leonardo Maleta Veranes, an orphan who was detained in Santiago de Cuba for writing slogans in a school.

Another case is that of Pavel Torres Rodríguez, arrested in Matanzas after posting criticisms of the Government on Facebook. He has been incarcerated for almost a year without trial and with multiple irregularities reported by his family, including intimidation, disappearance of judicial files, and deterioration of his physical and emotional health.

In the prison of Las Mangas Nuevas, in Bayamo, there are seven peaceful protesters imprisoned, some of whom have been beaten by agents or common prisoners, in retaliation for exercising their right to free expression. Alexander Guzmán Silva, one of the detainees, was brutally assaulted after demanding his family visit. Pedro Luis Zamora Isaac, Michael Vázquez González, and other inmates have been victims of beatings, threats, and prolonged detentions without judicial oversight.

Two new political prisoners, Erisbel Álvarez Yanes and Yosbel Carbajal de la Paz, were sentenced to 10 years in prison for returning by boat from the United States. According to Prisoners Defenders, the trial was marred by irregularities, including arbitrary detention, fabrication of charges, and the use of the judicial system as a means of exemplary punishment.

Minors and women among the prisoners

The report warns that at least 33 of the 1,185 political prisoners were detained as minors. Of these, 30 are still serving sentences and three are being prosecuted without judicial oversight. Additionally, 122 women remain imprisoned for political or conscience-related reasons.

A total of 702 are categorized as prisoners of conscience, 447 as conscientious objectors, and 36 as other political prisoners, classifications that reflect serious violations of human rights, due process, and judicial neutrality.

Alarming context: torture, deaths, and critical conditions

The data from Prisoners Defenders aligns with a report published in early August, which documented 91 reports of abuse in Cuban prisons during July, including 68 human rights violations and two deaths in state custody. One of the victims was Yan Carlos González, who died after more than a month on a hunger strike.

Additionally, another report released in June revealed that in the first six months of the year, there were 24 deaths in state custody and 160 reports of torture, including beatings, deliberate denial of medical care, and psychological torture. Of the victims, at least 56 were political prisoners.

“The regime has the obligation to ensure the integrity of all individuals in its custody,” warned at that time Camila Rodríguez, director of the Initiative for Research and Advocacy, an organization responsible for monitoring through the Cuban Prisons Documentation Center (CDPC), which has demanded the opening of Cuban prisons to independent observers.

Frequently Asked Questions about Repression and Political Prisoners in Cuba