In a recent statement by Cuba’s top tribunal, it was announced that 553 prisoners have been freed as part of an arrangement facilitated by the Vatican. This agreement, which had faced uncertainty following President Donald Trump’s reversal of a Biden administration promise to relax sanctions on Cuba, was initially reached in negotiations with the Catholic Church. While former President Joe Biden had agreed in January to remove Cuba from the U.S. terrorism blacklist in exchange for the release of prisoners, Trump’s administration overturned this decision upon taking office, resulting in Cuba being placed back on the list and subjected to additional sanctions.
Despite these challenges, Cuba’s state-run media confirmed on Monday that a total of 553 individuals have been granted early release from prison. The Supreme People’s Court of Cuba has verified that these individuals are now free and that the release process has been successfully completed. Notably, human rights organizations have observed a recent increase in the number of prisoners being released from Cuban jails, with some reports indicating that among those freed, there are individuals convicted of non-political offenses.
While the Biden administration had initially emphasized the release of “political prisoners” as part of the agreement, Cuba has stated that the 553 people released had been sanctioned for various crimes. Notably, there has been ongoing international pressure for Cuba to release individuals detained in connection with the anti-government protests that occurred on July 11, 2021, which were the largest demonstrations since the 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro. Cuban authorities have asserted that those imprisoned were involved in criminal activities such as arson, vandalism, and sedition.
As of last week, watchdog groups reported that approximately 200 prisoners linked to the 2021 protests had been released, although limited information has made it challenging to verify these numbers. The recent statement released by Cuban state media did not specify how many of the 553 individuals freed under the Vatican-brokered agreement were connected to the 2021 demonstrations.
