154 releases and 0 liberties: DefensaCD publishes updated list of political prisoners released

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154 RELEASES AND 0 LIBERTIES: DEFENSACD PUBLISHES UPDATED LIST OF POLITICAL PRISONERS RELEASED

No new releases have been registered today, reports the Center for Incidents Report of the Foundation for Pan-American Democracy (FDP), as President Donald Trump reinstates the Cuban regime on the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.

January 21, 2025 – DefensaCD, the FDP’s Center for Incidents Report, has made available to the public an updated list of political prisoners released by the Cuban regime since January 15, 2025.

To date, none of the 27 female or 127 male political prisoners released have been granted full freedom. All have been released under conditional licenses or parole, remaining under threat of re-imprisonment if they “persist in their counterrevolutionary activities.” Many of these Cuban citizens were unjustly convicted in retaliation for their participation in the July 11, 2021 (11J) protests. Over 1,000 individuals remain imprisoned for political reasons on the island.

Our foundation welcomes the correction of the State Sponsors of Terrorism list made on the first day of the new U.S. administration.

“We appreciate President Donald Trump’s decision. The island’s regime not only sponsors terrorism but implements state terrorism daily against Cuban citizens. Dictatorships only respond to pressure, and we hope the West is willing to apply it to support the democratic aspirations of the Cuban people,” said Rosa María Payá, Executive Director of the FDP.

“The regime uses the bodies of political prisoners as bargaining chips and quickly replaces released prisoners with new detainees. For this reason, the immediate, unconditional, and definitive release of all political prisoners must be a prerequisite for any discussion with the Cuban regime,” added Payá, who is also the founder of Cuba Decide.

“We appreciate the releases from a humanitarian perspective. However, negotiations with the outgoing U.S. administration and the Vatican favored the regime and failed to resolve the political prisoner crisis. When our nonviolent activism for freedom threatens the tyranny’s power, nothing stops them from imprisoning us again. President Trump is stated José Daniel Ferrer, leader of UNPACU and Cuba Decide, who was released on January 16 after three years and six months in prison under conditions of torture.

The Havana regime denies the existence of over 1,000 political prisoners. In its official announcement on January 14, it claimed it would release 553 individuals for “various offenses.” To date, the number of common prisoners released remains unknown. However, our center has received unconfirmed reports of common prisoners being released and informed that their release is linked to “negotiations.”

We call on the international community and media to use this list as a reference to document and highlight the situation in Cuba. Click HERE to access the updated list of released prisoners.

On FDP:
The “Fundación para la Democracia Panamericana (FDP)” was established in 2015 to uphold and promote democracy in the Americas. The Foundation has no political or religious affiliation and collaborates with local and international agencies and organizations committed to democracy and respect for human rights. The Foundation created the Center for Incidents Report, DefensaCD, to monitor repression, arbitrary detentions, and human rights violations in Cuba. Access our monthly reports here. The Foundation supports the Cuba Decide campaign and various pro-freedom initiatives in the region.