Sonia Álvarez Campillo, wife of Félix Navarro and mother of Saylí Navarro Álvarez, both political prisoners, published an emotional message of gratitude to the European Parliament, following the resolution passed on Thursday demanding their immediate release and that of all Cuban political prisoners.
The statement, disseminated on Facebook by the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights, came a day after the European Parliament backed the resolution with 374 votes in favor, 198 against, and 19 abstentions - the most supported of the three that the body has issued regarding Cuba in less than a year - and the text called for individual sanctions against those responsible for the repression, starting with the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel.
On behalf of her family, the Lady in White thanked the European Parliament for the resolution.
"I would like to especially thank the political groups that promoted it, as well as all the MEPs and groups that have supported it with their votes," he stated in the video.
Sonia emphasized the significance for her family to know that Félix and Saylí have not been forgotten: "They have been deprived of their freedom for years for peacefully advocating their ideas and for wanting a Cuba where the dignity of human rights and the freedoms of all are respected."
"We deeply appreciate that the European Parliament has clearly called for his immediate and unconditional release, along with that of all Cuban political prisoners," said the woman, who particularly emphasized the concern expressed for Félix's health and the demand that he receive immediate, adequate, and independent medical care.
"This resolution is also a message of hope for those who are imprisoned and for their families. It tells them that they are not alone, that outside Cuba's prisons there are people and institutions who are aware of what they are going through and who continue to demand respect for their rights," he stated.
"As a wife and a mother, I thank you for not turning a blind eye," she added.
Sonia extended her message to the organizations of Cubans that have supported the families of Cuban political prisoners, including her own, and urged them to continue this work and raise their voices until all those imprisoned are freed.
The elderly woman concluded her message with a phrase that encapsulates the historical weight of the moment: "When someday this painful and disastrous chapter of our nation's history is written, it will also be recorded that, from Europe, the European Parliament stood by those who fought for freedom and human rights in Cuba."
Félix Navarro, 73 years old, is serving a sentence in the maximum security prison of Agüica, in Colón, Matanzas, where in April 2026 he was beaten by prison guards and transferred to a punishment cell in isolation. He suffers from diabetes, hypertension, and chronic heart problems.
Her daughter Saylí, who suffers from a serious kidney condition, remains in the La Bellotex women's prison, also in Matanzas, and was disciplined in May for publicly denouncing that aggression.
Both were arrested on July 11, 2021, while they were going to a police station in Matanzas to inquire about other activists detained during the protests of July 11. They were sentenced to nine and eight years in prison, respectively, on charges of "public disorder, assault, and disrespect."
Amnesty International declared them prisoners of conscience in October 2024.
This new resolution strengthens the growing consensus within the European Parliament in favor of revising the engagement policy with Cuba and conditioning any cooperation on real progress in human rights and political freedoms on the Island.
In January, the organization supported an amendment to suspend privileged cooperation with Havana, and in June called for sanctions against Díaz-Canel and the leaders of the military conglomerate GAESA.
According to Prisoners Defenders, Cuba ended August with a record of 1,339 political prisoners, of which 155 are women and 38 are minors.
Out of the total, 463 suffer from serious conditions that the NGO links, among other factors, to malnutrition, abuse, and lack of medical attention.
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