Cuba finishes releasing prisoners under Vatican-mediated deal

Cuba has granted early release to 553 prisoners as part of a deal mediated by the Holy See during the final days of former U.S. President Joe Biden’s presidency.

As part of the agreement with Cuban authorities, U.S. President Joe Biden removed Cuba from the U.S. terrorism blacklist on January 14, in exchange for the Cuban government’s commitment to release 553 prisoners.

The United States, the European Union, the Catholic Church, and rights groups have long urged the island nation to release hundreds of protesters imprisoned after anti-government protests in July 2021, the largest since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution.

In a statement following the deal, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said, "In the spirit of the 2025 Jubilee and as part of the close and ongoing relations with the Vatican, I informed Pope Francis of the decision to release the prisoners."

The deal was reversed by the new U.S. administration just six days after Donald Trump was sworn in, but the release of prisoners has continued sporadically.

In February, the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, called the gradual release of the Cuban prisoners „a sign of great hope“ at the start of the Holy Year, and he expressed hope for more "gestures of clemency“ from governments in the spirit of the Jubilee.

Speaking late on Monday, the vice president of Cuba‘s top court said on state television that the process was successfully completed.

According to rights groups, opposition activists and a dissident leader are among those released. However, two dissident artists and a musician co-author of the anti-government protests anthem are still in jail. Observers claim that many of those released are not political prisoners.

According to official figures, around 500 demonstrators over the July 2021 protests have been sentenced, in some cases to up to 25 years in prison.

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