Cuba announces release of over 2,000 prisoners amid US pressure - JURIST - News

## Summary
News gabrielmbulla / Pixabay Cuba announced that it will release 2,010 prisoners as part of a pardon approved under Article 90(II) of the country’s Constitution . The review considered the nature of the offenses, behavior while incarcerated, the portion of the sentence served, and the health of the individuals. Certain categories of prisoners were excluded, including those “convicted of sexual assault, violent pedophilia, murder, homicide [and] drug-related offenses.” Prisoners charged with crimes against authority, often applied to political prisoners, were also excluded. Cuba maintains that no political prisoners are held, but independent organizations report that over 1,200 individuals have been detained under charges often considered political.

## Article Content
News
gabrielmbulla
/ Pixabay
Cuba
announced
that it will release 2,010 prisoners as part of a pardon approved under Article 90(II) of the country’s
Constitution
. The government described the release as a humanitarian gesture undertaken for with Holy Week.
The government stated that the decision followed a formal review process. The review considered the nature of the offenses, behavior while incarcerated, the portion of the sentence served, and the health of the individuals. Those pardoned include women, young adults, seniors aged 60 or older, foreign nationals, and Cuban citizens living abroad. The list of released individuals has not been made public.
Certain categories of prisoners were excluded, including those “convicted of sexual assault, violent pedophilia, murder, homicide [and] drug-related offenses.”
Prisoners charged with crimes against authority, often applied to political prisoners, were also excluded. Cuba
maintains
that no
political prisoners
are held, but
independent
organizations report that over 1,200 individuals have been detained under charges often considered political.
The announcement comes amid
ongoing
US pressure on Cuba, including an
executive
order issued on January 29, 2026, that restricts Cuba’s access to imported oil and authorizes tariffs on third countries supplying fuel. UN human rights experts have characterized the measure as unilateral economic coercion with extraterritorial effects that could endanger services in Cuba, such as electricity, water, healthcare, food, and transportation. Cuba also
condemned
US threats of intervention and economic pressure, calling them attempts to destabilize the country and seize control of its resources.

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
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### Areas for Consideration
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### Implications
- News gabrielmbulla / Pixabay Cuba announced that it will release 2,010 prisoners as part of a pardon approved under Article 90(II) of the country’s Constitution .
- UN human rights experts have characterized the measure as unilateral economic coercion with extraterritorial effects that could endanger services in Cuba, such as electricity, water, healthcare, food, and transportation.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers cuba, prisoners, individuals topics. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 244.