An independent human rights organization documented at least 344 repressive actions in Cuba during September and warned that the situation could worsen in the coming months, amid a scenario characterized by arbitrary detentions, surveillance, threats, and harassment against activists, journalists, and political prisoners.
According to the monthly report from the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH), released on October 6, of the 344 repressive actions recorded in September, 17 were arbitrary detentions and 327 were classified as other abuses.
The report specifies that among the most common forms of repression were encirclements or surveillance of homes, with 151 documented cases, in addition to reports made by political prisoners, regular prisoners, and their families, threats, police summonses, and fines.
Yaxys Cires, director of Strategies at OCDH, stated that September was "a disastrous month for freedom of expression and independent journalism" and warned that the regime, amidst its unpopularity, is trying to impose "the law of silence."
In that context, he warned that the repression "could worsen".
The organization also stated that when Cuban authorities claim they will not discuss "internal political issues" in potential negotiations, they are effectively validating the continuation of laws and mechanisms that, as they reported, allow for the repression of the citizenry.
The 17 documented arbitrary arrests primarily occurred in Havana, although cases were also reported in Holguín, Camagüey, and Matanzas.
Those affected include activists, opponents, journalists, an intellectual, a religious leader, and citizens with no known political affiliation, according to the report.
The document also recorded at least 46 cases of abuses against political prisoners during September. Among the reported incidents are the lack or denial of medical care, insufficient or poor-quality food, isolation, lack of communication, physical assaults, threats, reprisals, and restrictions on prison rights.
In parallel, the OCDH noted that during that month there were reported at least 151 cases of individuals surrounded or monitored in their homes.
An important part of these operations, she indicated, focused on dates of religious significance and events related to civil society activities, particularly targeting members of the Ladies in White.
The report also highlighted one of the most significant operations as the deployment on September 18 to prevent independent journalists, activists, and other members of civil society from attending "Noches Americanas," an event organized by the United States Embassy in Havana.
The observatory itself had noted that there were 3,051 documented repressive actions between January and September 2026, a figure that puts the regime on track to surpass the total reported for all of 2025.
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