“Today, the Cuban prison system is a space of human degradation and political repression,” declared Camila Rodríguez, director of the CDPC.
CDMX, Mexico. – Sixty people deprived of liberty died in the custody of the Cuban State between March 2024 and March 2025, according to the second annual report of the Cuban Prison Documentation Center (CDPC), a program of the civil association Initiative for Research and Advocacy. The report, titled What the numbers tellspecifies that 47 of the deaths are linked to physical or mental health problems and lack of timely care, and seven to direct physical violence. He also emphasizes that there is no evidence of investigations or sanctions for these events.
In the period examined, the CDPC recorded 1,858 events related to people imprisoned in Cuba; 1,330 of them were classified as human rights violations, which—in the opinion of the organization—reveals a sustained pattern of institutional violence and a critical deterioration of prison conditions.
“Each violation documented in this report was verified in accordance with the United Nations Mandela Rules and other international human rights standards. The magnitude, systematicity and severity of the findings confirm a critical gap between the international commitments formally assumed by the Cuban State and the reality faced by people deprived of liberty in the country’s prisons,” declared Camila Rodríguez, director of the CDPC.
The report identifies 44 types of violations. The most frequent were harassment and repression (1,045 cases), denial of medical care (402), inadequate living conditions (297) and nutritional deficiencies (224). The CDPC describes the persistence of prolonged isolation, punitive transfers and forced labor without pay or threat.
It also documents torture methods such as “the Turkish bed”, “the bicycle” and the use of “shakiras”, shackles that completely immobilize people.
The material conditions in prisons, according to the report, reach levels of inhumanity: widespread malnutrition, contaminated water, severe overcrowding and absence of medical care or essential medications. The CDPC adds that, in some of the 60 deaths, relatives were unable to access the bodies or the forensic reports, violating international protocols applicable to potentially unlawful deaths.
The chapter on structural discrimination indicates that, of 545 people identified as direct victims, 329 were imprisoned for political reasons. Additionally, 244 collective complaints were registered that affected entire populations within penitentiary centers. Among the individual victims, the report lists 41 women, 175 people of African descent or mixed race, 99 with chronic illnesses, 37 with mental health problems and nine with disabilities, groups that—the CDPC warns—face aggravated levels of violence, exclusion and punishment.
The document highlights that the verification of cases was carried out in accordance with the Nelson Mandela Rules of the United Nations, minimum international standard for the treatment of persons deprived of liberty.
In its final appeal, the organization called for sustained vigilance from the international community, urged Cuba’s ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT), and promoted the creation of independent oversight and accountability mechanisms.
“Today, the Cuban prison system is a space of human degradation and political repression. These are not isolated failures, but rather a structural policy of punishment and silence that requires a firm international response,” concluded Rodríguez.
