The Center launched a petition drive on April 6, 2026 on the platform Change.org titled, “Urgent Request to Prioritize the Release of Cuban Political Prisoners.” It calls on the United States, the Holy See, the European Union, and Canada to prioritize the unconditional release of all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Cuba, press Havana to grant full access to the International Committee of the Red Cross and other independent monitors to Cuban prisons. The petition also calls for an end to the criminalization of nonviolent dissent.
The petition signed by 185 citizens and human rights defenders was delivered to them, but remains open, and we will resubmit when we reach 200 signers. These world leaders each have unique and different influences over the Cuban government for very different reasons.
Repression has intensified since April 2026. The number of identified political prisoners has risen from 1,214 political prisoners and prisoners of conscience to 1,281 over the past three months. They are enduring inhuman prison conditions, including prolonged solitary confinement, denial of adequate medical care, torture, insufficient food and water, and deplorable sanitary standards.
Families continue to be subjected to systematic harassment and surveillance. Compounding this crisis is Havana’s long standing refusal to bring transparency to the Cuban prison system. The Cuban government has not allowed the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)to visit its prisons since 1989.
To bring global attention to this reality, back in April the petition highlighted ten cases of Cuban political prisoners who were then imprisoned:
- Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara – Internationally recognized artist and leader of the San Isidro Movement; imprisoned since July 2021 for peaceful artistic activism and criticism of the government. He began a hunger strike in March 2026 amid death threats and fears of sentence extension.
- Maykel Castillo Pérez (“Maykel Osorbo”) – Grammy-winning musician and co-author of the global protest anthem “Patria y Vida”; detained since May 2021 and serving a nine-year sentence for his activism. He has faced repeated transfers to high-security prisons, physical assaults, and severe health deterioration.
- Félix Navarro Rodríguez – Veteran opposition leader and founder of the Pedro Luis Boitel Party for Democracy; re-arrested in April 2025 and held in prolonged isolation despite his advanced age and health concerns.
- Sayli Navarro Álvarez – Prominent activist and daughter of Félix Navarro; imprisoned for her human rights defense work and participation in nonviolent dissent.
- Donaida Pérez Paseiro – President of the Free Yoruba Association; re-arrested in May 2025 for her advocacy on behalf of religious and political freedoms.
- Loreto Hernández García – Recognized prisoner of conscience; detained for peaceful opposition activities, with reports of deteriorating health and denial of medical care.
- Alexander Díaz Rodríguez – Imprisoned for exercising freedom of expression and assembly, diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2022 without proper medical treatment.
- Jaime Alcide Firdó – Opposition figure re-arrested in April 2025 amid the regime’s crackdown on dissidents.
- Rolando Yusef Pérez Morera – Recognized opposition activist, one of the leaders of the 11J protests, he is in a severe state of malnutrition without medical attention.
- José Gabriel Barrenechea – Independent journalist sentenced to six years in prison in January 2026 for participating in a peaceful street protest during a blackout.
These cases represent the broader reality of more than 1,200 political prisoners, including hundreds from the July 2021 (11J) protests, artists, journalists, and ordinary citizens. Nine of them remain imprisoned today, and the one who was released on April 12, 2026, Alexander Díaz Rodríguez, shocked the international community with his skeletal appearance.
Alexander Díaz Rodríguez, Cuban political prisoner. (Photo courtesy Prisoners Defenders)
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