The Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH) demanded that the pardon announced by the Cuban regime include all political prisoners, deeming the progress made so far insufficient.
In a message published on X, the organization indicated that it is in contact with the families of political prisoners to monitor the process and emphasized that it must be "swift, transparent," and cover all detainees for reasons of conscience.
The OCDH warned that, by Thursday morning, only 27 political prisoners had been released in the context of the agreement with the Holy See, which it described as a "meager" progress given the high number of people imprisoned for political reasons on the island.
The organization emphasized the urgency of accelerating releases for reasons of justice and humanitarian concerns, in a context marked by reports of precarious conditions in Cuban prisons.
Critiques are adding up to those expressed by the opposition figure José Daniel Ferrer, who questioned the announcement of the pardon for more than 2,000 sentenced individuals made by the Cuban regime this Thursday.
Ferrer accused the regime of attempting to "get out of the predicament it is in" through this measure and questioned whether it includes political prisoners.
"Will they release Félix Navarro, Saylí, Maikel Osorbo, Luis Manuel Otero, Lisandra Góngora, Noslén Ayala, and all the other political prisoners?" he asked.
He also questioned the conditions under which the releases could occur, noting that this is not a structural solution.
"Is it to liberate, or to release prisoners who are starving and suffering from illnesses while continuing to imprison people for political reasons, including minors?" she pointed out.
The Cuban government announced the release of 2,010 individuals as part of a pardon approved under the prison benefits established by law and in accordance with the Constitution.
According to the official version, the measure is based on an analysis that took into account the behavior of the inmates, the time served of their penalties, the nature of the crimes committed, and their state of health.
The beneficiaries include young people, women, adults over 60 years old, foreigners, and Cubans residing abroad, while those excluded are individuals who have committed serious crimes, as well as repeat offenders and habitual offenders.
The announcement comes in the context of Holy Week and marks the second release so far this year, in a practice that the regime presents as routine within its penal system but that raises further questions about its real impact on human rights.
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