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At least 21 Cubans sanctioned for participating in the historic protests of July 11, 2021, have been released in recent days, amid a process marked by opacity and uncertainties regarding its actual scope.
The organization Cubalex confirmed on March 25 the release from prison of these individuals, following the Cuban government's announcement on March 12 regarding the liberation of 51 inmates. However, there is still no official list or verifiable public details regarding who has benefited or under what exact legal conditions.
According to the independent monitoring by Cubalex, all those released had been sentenced for their participation in the 11J, with penalties in several cases exceeding a decade in prison and even reaching up to 22 years. Among them are young people, adults, and even a 65-year-old man, reflecting the wide range of Cubans punished following the largest protests recorded on the island in decades.
But far from being complete releases, what has been implemented are measures that allow prisoners to leave jail under strict conditions, keeping them under surveillance and at risk of returning to prison at any moment. Both Cubalex and the platform Justicia 11J, which has also closely monitored the process, emphasized this.
"These measures do not lift the sanctions," warned Justicia 11J in a recent update, where it confirmed at least 16 releases within the same group and alerted about the ongoing state control over those released.
The lack of transparency is one of the biggest concerns for human rights organizations. So far, the authorities have not clarified whether they are dealing with political prisoners or common criminals, nor have they explained the criteria used to select those who benefit. There has also been no information regarding the release of women, raising questions about possible selectivity in the process.
Another point that contradicts the official narrative is that several of the released individuals still had a significant portion of their sentences remaining, despite the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserting that priority would be given to those nearing the completion of their sentences.
This process also takes place in a sensitive context. The release of the prisoners was presented by the government as a gesture toward the Vatican, which has historically mediated between Havana and Washington.
Organizations like Cubalex insist that they will continue to document every case in order to provide reliable information to the public and to families, many of whom still live between hope and uncertainty.
Meanwhile, the reality for these released Cubans remains far from full freedom: they have been freed from prison, but not from state control.
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