Report reveals systematic denial of criminal benefits to political prisoners in Cuba

With a total of 1,150 political prisoners registered as of Jan. 31, 2025, the Cuban regime continues to display a systematic policy of denying prison benefits to those who have been imprisoned for reasons of conscience and political opposition. According to a recent legal study by Prisoners Defenders, a Spanish pro-democracy legal action and advocacy organization, nearly 60% of the political prisoners in Cuba should be enjoying some penal benefit, but the dictatorship deliberately denies them.

New additions and releases

In January 2025, the list of political prisoners grew with five new additions, while 16 discharges were recorded: 11 due to completion of sentence, two due to late acquittals and three cases resolved via criminal proceedings. In addition, 201 prisoners were released under a "prison-domiciliary regime" thanks to an agreement between the Cuban regime and the Vatican. However, they continue to serve their sentences under strict surveillance and limitations.

As of Jan,31, 2025, Prisoners Defenders revealed that the 1,150 political prisoners are distributed into 688 prisoners of conscience, ergo still in prison; 422 prisoners of conscience, serving sentences under house arrest; and the remaining 40 have various restrictions on their freedom.

The methodology of the study identified four main groups: men under 20 years of age with no criminal record, women with no criminal record, men over 20 years of age with no criminal record, and men and women with criminal records.

Denial of prison benefits

Prisoners Defenders analyzed 440 cases of the 688 incarcerated conscience convicts and evidenced that 59% should have already been released from prison, either by sentence reduction, parole or extraordinary measure.

However, the organization indicates that while common prisoners can obtain a sentence reduction of up to two months less per year served in prison, political prisoners are excluded with the classification "CR" (counter-revolutionary).

As for parole, which is usually applied to prisoners upon serving one-third, one-half or two-thirds of their sentence, depending on the case, political prisoners do not usually have that right.

On the other hand, people with serious illnesses or over the age of 65 should get special leave, but political prisoners do not access it despite poor medical conditions inside prisons.

Prisoners Defenders added that 100% of female prisoners of conscience without criminal records should be released from prison, 100% of young prisoners of conscience without criminal records should be released and 50% of men over the age of 20 without criminal records should be in open regime.

In statements to Argentine newspaper Infobae, Javier Larrondo, president of the organization, said: "The Cuban regime has incarcerated minors in deplorable conditions. Many of them are in penitentiaries that they euphemistically call 'Integral Training Schools,' but in reality they are prisons controlled by the Ministry of the Interior."

Larrondo also called on the European Union and the democratic governments of the world to get involved in the situation of political prisoners in Cuba.

"Diplomatic discretion only reveals a profound lack of solidarity in many states that boast of solidarity, but whose leaders do not act accordingly," he told Infobae.

The Cuban regime violates the island's own criminal law and international treaties

The study by Prisoners Defenders evidences systematic patterns of denial of prison benefits to political prisoners in Cuba, in violation of Cuba's own penal legislation and international human rights treaties. The lack of transparency in the files and the political discrimination of these prisoners reaffirm the repressive nature of the Cuban regime in terms of fundamental rights and freedoms.