Cuba to release more than 2,000 prisoners, as pressure from US mounts
bbc.com • • nation
Key Points:
- Cuba announced it will release 2,010 prisoners as a "humanitarian and sovereign gesture," including foreign nationals, young people, women, and those over 60, coinciding with Holy Week religious celebrations.
- The release comes amid ongoing political pressure from the US, which has imposed sanctions and blocked oil shipments to Cuba, causing fuel shortages and blackouts.
- Eligibility for release was determined by a review of offenses, good conduct, time served, and health status, according to the Cuban embassy in the US.
- This is the second prisoner release announced by Cuba this year, following the March release of 51 inmates after Vatican-mediated talks.
- Human Rights Watch reports that Cuba holds hundreds of political prisoners and that government critics face harassment and prosecution.
