HAVANA (AP) — The government of Cuba has recently released well-known dissident José Daniel Ferrer from prison, marking a significant move towards the gradual release of over 500 prisoners following discussions with the Vatican. Ferrer, a vocal critic of the communist regime in Cuba, was confirmed to be free by The Associated Press, stating that he is now at his residence in Palma Soriano, located over 600 miles east of the capital, Havana.
In a phone interview with the AP, Ferrer expressed, “I am fine, surrounded by family and friends. I had been arbitrarily imprisoned for the third time, and a false judicial process had been set up.” This release comes in the wake of the recent announcement by U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration of its intention to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
The U.S. government formally informed Congress on Tuesday about plans to lift the terrorism designation of Cuba as part of an agreement brokered with the assistance of the Catholic Church. Cuban authorities committed to releasing a number of detainees by noon on January 20, the end of the Biden administration. The Cuban government subsequently communicated to Pope Francis its decision to gradually release 553 inmates as they explore legal and humanitarian mechanisms to facilitate the process. Notably, the Cuban authorities emphasized that this gesture towards the pontiff was independent of the U.S.’s move to lift the terrorism designation.
Cuban human rights organizations monitoring detention cases in the country reported that approximately 30 individuals, including Ferrer, have been released over the past two days. Ferrer, who had spent six months in prison before being placed under house arrest in 2020, was rearrested in 2021 after participating in widespread protests against food shortages and power outages amidst a severe economic crisis.
As the director of the Patriotic Union of Cuba, Ferrer shared his intentions to persist in his advocacy for democracy. “I am going to meet up with my friends and my brothers (in the cause) now. And I am going to continue the non-violent struggle for freedom and democracy,” he affirmed.
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