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Cuba releases first prisoners of 2021 protests

A long-awaited step amid international pressure and strict conditions of release

The Cuban government announced the release of a first group of prisoners, consisting of at least 14 people, mostly linked to the anti-government protests of 11 July 2021. According to the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights, a non-governmental organisation that monitors the situation on the island, the names of those released were made public this morning.

They include Reyna Yacnara Barreto Batista, a 24-year-old woman, who confirmed her release and that of nine other men, almost all of whom were imprisoned for their participation in the demonstrations three and a half years ago.

The case of Donaida Pérez Paseiro

Among the released prisoners is the name of Donaida Pérez Paseiro, 53, detained in the central province of Villa Clara. Sentenced to seven years in prison for her participation in the protests, she had been declared a ‘prisoner of conscience’ by Amnesty International.

After her release, Pérez Paseiro made a statement to Ntn24 television, emphasising the importance of international pressure for the release of political prisoners:

‘This is nothing more than the result of the international campaign conducted in favour of political prisoners. It has nothing to do with the Cuban regime. We have been its currency over the years.’

A conditional release: no pardon, no amnesty

The Cuban authorities, however, made it clear that the 553 people to be gradually released benefit neither from an amnesty nor a pardon. This is a technical release, subject to the fulfilment of specific conditions.

According to official statements, the released prisoners will have to maintain ‘good conduct’, on pain of possible return to prison. This measure was the result of negotiations with the Catholic Church, but remains strongly criticised by human rights groups, who see it as a mechanism to maintain control over dissidents.

International pressure and political significance

The release of the prisoners comes after a long international campaign to denounce human rights violations in Cuba. Protests in 2021, triggered by the economic crisis and government management, had led to numerous arrests and harsh sentences, causing growing global attention.

The release represents a significant but not unambiguous step. The strict conditions imposed and the lack of a real amnesty fuel the debate on the actual political significance of these releases.

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