Over 1,300 Political Prisoners Documented In Cuba, Rights Group Says

MEXICO CITY, July 10 (dpa) -- More than 1,300 political prisoners are being held in Cuba, a human rights organization said on Thursday ahead of the fifth anniversary of mass protests on the socialist-run island. 

The Cuban government has tightened its pre-emptive crackdown on potential leaders of fresh protests ahead of the anniversary on July 11, the Madrid-based Prisoners Defenders.

In June alone, 32 new political prisoners were held, including content creators, journalists, a rapper, an Evangelical pastor, opposition figures and a doctor. A further 21 cases are currently under review. 

"The evidence points to a repressive campaign targeting individuals with social influence, aimed at preventing any attempt at mobilization ahead of the anniversary," the organization stated. 

Of those classified as political prisoners, 40 were minors at the time of their arrest.

In recent months, there have been increasing numbers of small-scale protests in Cuba against the ongoing power cuts. 

However, there have been no comparable large-scale demonstrations since 2021, when large numbers of participants in mass protests were arrested. The protests were regarded as the largest since the 1959 revolution under Fidel Castro.

Most activists and dissidents are now either in prison or in exile. 

One of them is the visual artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara. Having served his full five-year prison sentence, Otero was due to be released on Thursday. 

However, according to the organization Justicia 11J, he was taken from a high-security prison two days ago and his whereabouts have been unknown ever since.

--NNN-dpa