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The releases initiated following the most recent announcement from the Cuban regime would not only benefit individuals imprisoned for political reasons, but also inmates convicted of common crimes, according to preliminary reports received by the organization Justicia 11J from the families of those deprived of liberty.
The entity warned that it is still verifying each case before providing a definitive list of names and details.
In a message shared on X, Justicia 11J reported that it has received information from relatives about "several possible releases" that occurred in the last few hours.
The organization urged caution and assured that it would only disclose identities once they are confirmed.
In that same statement, he added a relevant piece of information: three different family sources reported that, in the ongoing process, individuals convicted of common crimes would also be released, “in a proportion that, according to this initial information, could exceed that of individuals imprisoned for political reasons.”
That remark introduces an important nuance regarding the true scope of the measure announced by the Cuban authorities.
Although part of the public attention has focused on political prisoners, particularly on the protesters from July 11, 2021, preliminary information gathered by Justicia 11J suggests that the process could be broader and encompass other inmates not linked to political causes.
So far, the first releases confirmed by human rights organizations correspond precisely to political prisoners from the 11J protests.
Prisoners Defenders identified 10 released prisoners. Among them, Ibrahín Ariel González Hodelin, 26 years old, sentenced to 9 years, Mar Verde Prison, Santiago de Cuba; Ariel Pérez Montesino, 52 years old, sentenced to 10 years, Guanajay Prison, Artemisa.
He also mentioned Juan Pablo Martínez Monterrey, 32 years old, sentenced to 11 years, Forced Labor Prison Ceiba 5, Artemisa; Ronald García Sánchez, 33 years old, sentenced to 14 years, Forced Labor Prison Toledo 2, Marianao, Havana; Adael Jesús Leyva Díaz, 29 years old, sentenced to 13 years, Forced Labor Prison Zone 0, Combinado del Este, Havana.
Also released would have been Oscar Bárbaro Bravo Cruzata, 27 years old, sentenced to 13 years at the La Lima Forced Labor Prison in Guanabacoa; José Luis Sánchez Tito, 34 years old, sentenced to 16 years at the Eastern Combined Prison in Havana; Roberto Ferrer Gener, 52 years old, sentenced to 15 years at the Eastern Combined Prison in Havana; Yussuan Villalba Sierra, 35 years old, sentenced to 10 years at the Forced Labor Prison of the Eastern Combined; Eduardo Álvarez Rigal, 36 years old, sentenced to 13 years at the La Lima Forced Labor Prison in Guanabacoa.
Justice 11J stated that it has individually verified the release of Ronald García Sánchez and Adael Jesús Leyva Díaz, both on probation.
In both cases, the organization specified that the original sanctions were reduced following appeals, but emphasized that these are conditional releases and not full pardons.
Both Justice 11J and Prisoners Defenders agree that the sentences of these individuals remain in effect.
The scheme applied does not equate to amnesty or pardon, but rather to prison benefits subject to control and possible revocation. Prisoners Defenders even described the mode as a "particularly restrictive" form of parole, akin to a "prison-home regime."
A dangerous precedent
The caution of human rights organizations is also supported by recent precedents.
In 2025, the People’s Supreme Court announced the "successful" completion of a process to release 553 inmates, which was divided into two phases: 378 requests approved in January and 175 in February.
However, that measure did not represent a total liberation. Those who benefited received an “early release” and continued to serve their sentences under specific conditions, including regular appearances before a judge and the threat of revocation of the benefit in case of non-compliance.
The political context of these measures is also part of the picture described in the document. The announcement in January 2025 coincided with the Biden administration's decision to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
In the current process, the lack of official transparency is once again one of the central elements. The authorities have not released a complete list of those freed nor have they accurately explained how many are political prisoners and how many are charged with common crimes.
This lack of official information is precisely what has led organizations like Justicia 11J to reconstruct the process based on family reports and independent verifications.
At the time of this announcement, Justicia 11J documented an underreporting of 760 individuals imprisoned for political reasons in Cuba.
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