421 Prisoners Are Still Serving Sentences in Cuban Prisons for the ’11J’ Island-Wide Protests, Prisoners Defenders Denounces

On the anniversary last June, the regime arrested eight people, several of them for protesting against the blackouts in Guanabacoa. 14ymedio, Havana, 10 July 2025 — On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the mass demonstrations of 11 July 2021, Prisoners Defenders (PD) has published a report denouncing that, of the 1,158 political prisoners … Continue reading “421 Prisoners Are Still Serving Sentences in Cuban Prisons for the ’11J’ Island-Wide Protests, Prisoners Defenders Denounces”

Prisoners Defenders Records 1,152 Political Prisoners in Cuban Jails in March

The regime revoked the release of a 11J prisoner for refusing to collaborate with the political police. He explained that 33 minors remain on the list, of whom 29 are serving sentences. / EFE14ymedio, Havana, 10 April 2025 — Prisoners Defenders (PD) denounced this Thursday that the Cuban regime revoked the release of one of … Continue reading “Prisoners Defenders Records 1,152 Political Prisoners in Cuban Jails in March”

Cubans Arrested on March 17 Increases to 41, According to Prisoners Defenders

14ymedio, Havana, 30 March 2024 — The NGO Prisoners Defenders (PD) reported on Saturday that, according to its record, 41 people were arrested in Cuba after the protests on 17 March 2024 (’17M’), of which six were later released. The provinces of Holguín and Santiago de Cuba, with 13 and 12 arrested, top the list, … Continue reading “Cubans Arrested on March 17 Increases to 41, According to Prisoners Defenders”

Prisoners Defenders Places Cuban Political Prisoners at 1,066 in January

EFE (via 14ymedio), Madrid, 14 February 2024 — The NGO Prisoners Defenders (PD) raised its count of the number of political prisoners in Cuba to 1,066 on Wednesday, after including three new inmates on its list in January. The organization, based in Madrid, indicated in its monthly report that, in January, ten political prisoners were … Continue reading “Prisoners Defenders Places Cuban Political Prisoners at 1,066 in January”

Prisoners Defenders Sees ‘Political Motivations’ in the Trial of Cuban Alina Barbara Lopez

EFE/14ymedio, Madrid, 31 October 2023 — The organization Prisoners Defenders denounced on Tuesday that the trial against Cuban intellectual Alina Bárbara López, accused of an alleged crime of disobedience, has “political motivations,” and said that “the final objective” of the trial is to “repress the exercise of rights and freedoms.” The trial will begin on … Continue reading “Prisoners Defenders Sees ‘Political Motivations’ in the Trial of Cuban Alina Barbara Lopez”

‘Minors Are the Most Tortured’ in Cuban Prisons, Denounces Prisoners Defenders

14ymedio, Havana, 30 May 2023 — The organization Prisoners Defenders (PD) presented a new report on torture in Cuba on Tuesday, after collecting the statements of 181 political prisoners, including seven women and four minors (16 to 18 years old, the criminal age on the Island). In an online press conference, the president of the NGO based … Continue reading “‘Minors Are the Most Tortured’ in Cuban Prisons, Denounces Prisoners Defenders”

Prisoners Defenders Reports More Than 11,000 Cubans are in Prison for ‘Pre-criminal’ Convictions

14ymedio, Madrid, 12 January 2023 — More than 11,000 people in Cuba have “pre-criminal” convictions, that is, punishment without having committed any crime, nor even attempted one. It is one of the data points that stands out from the latest report by the organization Prisoners Defenders (PD), made public this Thursday and which, once again, … Continue reading “Prisoners Defenders Reports More Than 11,000 Cubans are in Prison for ‘Pre-criminal’ Convictions”

Prisoners Defenders Report Finds that the Cuban Government Limits Religious Freedom and Creates ‘Imposter’ Associations

14ymedio, Havana, 2 August 2022 — On Thursday, Prisoners Defenders shared their report, Constitutional Reform and Religious Freedom in Cuba, a companion document to accompany the evaluation conducted by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). In this new document, Prisoners Defenders, which contributed to the U.S. report, analyzed the testimonies of 56 religious … Continue reading “Prisoners Defenders Report Finds that the Cuban Government Limits Religious Freedom and Creates ‘Imposter’ Associations”

Armando Trujillo is Being Tortured by his Jailers, States Cuban Prisoners Defenders

14ymedio, Madrid, 17 February 2021 — On Tuesday, Cuban Prisoners Defenders (CPD) denounced the situation of prisoner of conscience Armando Trujillo González, who is serving a three-year sentence in the Agüica maximum security prison in Matanzas. Trujillo, an activist of the Movimiento Independiente Opción Alternativa (Independent Movement Alternative Option), has been held incommunicado since his … Continue reading “Armando Trujillo is Being Tortured by his Jailers, States Cuban Prisoners Defenders”

Cuban Prisoners Defenders Accuses Norway and Luxembourg of Participating in the Slavery of Cuban Doctors

14ymedio, Havana, 4 June 2020 — The Cuban Prisoners Defenders (CPD) organization accuses Norway and Luxembourg of contributing to the financing of the slavery system of Cuban doctors who work on international missions and asks them to review their triangular collaboration agreements if they want to continue being an example in human rights to the whole … Continue reading “Cuban Prisoners Defenders Accuses Norway and Luxembourg of Participating in the Slavery of Cuban Doctors”

Cuban Prisoners Defenders IDs 127 Political Prisoners on the Island

14ymedio, Havana, 6 August 2019 — One of the most controversial and anticipated figures on repression in Cuba has been updated by Cuban Prisoners Defenders (CPD). The independent organization states that on the Island there are 127 political prisoners and demands that foreign diplomats to call for their release. In a report published on August 1, CPD … Continue reading “Cuban Prisoners Defenders IDs 127 Political Prisoners on the Island”

A Cuban Court Confirms a Six-Year Prison Sentence for José Gabriel Barrenechea for Protesting During a Power Cut

Five other people were convicted for the same offences, two of them to eight and seven years respectively. 14ymedio, Madrid, 16 January 2026 — Four months after the trial, the Provincial Court of Villa Clara has handed down its sentence for intellectual and independent journalist José Gabriel Barrenechea. The court has upheld the six-year prison sentence … Continue reading “A Cuban Court Confirms a Six-Year Prison Sentence for José Gabriel Barrenechea for Protesting During a Power Cut”

Aniette González García Released From Prison After Serving a Three-Year Sentence in Appalling Conditions

Her crime consisted of publishing photos of herself wrapped in the Cuban flag to demand the release of the artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara. 14ymedio, 8 December 2025 — Camagüeyan activist Aniette González García was released from prison on Saturday after serving her full three-year sentence for the crime of “insulting national symbols.” Her release … Continue reading “Aniette González García Released From Prison After Serving a Three-Year Sentence in Appalling Conditions”

Cuba Closes November With a Record 1,192 Political Prisoners

Prisoners Defenders and the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights denounce the increase in repression in November 14ymedio, Havana, December 9, 2025 – Cuba closed November with 1,192 political prisoners, the highest figure ever recorded by Prisoners Defenders. In its report published this Tuesday, December 9, the organization denounces that repression is the only policy used … Continue reading “Cuba Closes November With a Record 1,192 Political Prisoners”

The Cuban State Uses Gender-Based Violence as a Tool of Repression, Amnesty International Reports

Testimonies show that authorities use, among other biases, “the maternal role to try to get women to abandon activism.” 14ymedio/EFE,  Madrid, 26 November 2025 — On Wednesday, the human rights organisation Amnesty International (AI) denounced the violence perpetrated by the Cuban regime against women activists, journalists and human rights defenders through gender-based abuse and authoritarian … Continue reading “The Cuban State Uses Gender-Based Violence as a Tool of Repression, Amnesty International Reports”