Havana: Cuba’s Supreme People’s Court confirmed on Monday that the country had completed the release of 553 prisoners, fulfilling a Vatican-mediated agreement despite complications following U.S. policy shifts under President Donald Trump.
The deal, initially secured during the Biden administration, involved removing Cuba from the U.S. terrorism blacklist in exchange for the prisoner release. However, Trump reversed Biden’s decision upon taking office, reinstating sanctions and briefly stalling the release process.
Despite the setback, Cuba proceeded with the prisoner releases, with state media announcing the conclusion of the process on Monday evening.
Judicial Confirmation
“Authorities of the Supreme People’s Court of Cuba affirm that these 553 people are already free and that the process has concluded,” Cuban state media reported in a televised broadcast.
Rights groups had already noted the release of prisoners in recent days, although some of those freed appeared to be common criminals rather than political detainees. While the Biden administration initially described the agreement as securing the release of “political prisoners,” Cuban authorities maintained that the 553 individuals had been convicted of various crimes.
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Uncertainty Over Political Prisoners
The United States, the European Union, the Catholic Church, and human rights organizations have long urged Cuba to release protesters detained after the historic anti-government demonstrations of July 11, 2021. Those protests, the largest since Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution, led to a widespread crackdown by Cuban authorities, who accused demonstrators of crimes including arson, vandalism, and sedition.
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According to watchdog groups, approximately 200 of those released last week were linked to the 2021 protests. However, Cuba has not clarified how many of the 553 released prisoners were political detainees.
The completion of the prisoner release marks a significant moment in Cuba’s legal and diplomatic landscape, although ongoing U.S. sanctions and strained relations continue to shape the island nation’s political future.
