1,300 political prisoners are held in Cuba, including activists, journalists and religious leaders.

Omissions

• The 1,300 figure is an estimate by the NGO Prisoners Defenders, not an official statistic; Cuba does not publish data on political prisoners.
• Human Rights Watch's World Report 2026 cited a Prisoners Defenders count of 'nearly 700' political prisoners as of October 2025, showing the number fluctuates with releases (e.g. the January 2025 Vatican-brokered releases) and new detentions; the 1,300 figure reflects the most recent count before the session date.
• The two news sources reporting the 1,300 figure (Qatar Tribune and Bernama) both derive from the same dpa wire and therefore are not genuinely independent of each other.

Sources

• SecondaryQatar Tribune — '1300 political prisoners documented in Cuba'More than 1,300 political prisoners are being held in Cuba, a human rights organization said on Thursday ahead of the fifth anniversary of mass protests on July 11, the Madrid-based Prisoners Defenders. In June alone, 32 new...
• SecondaryBernama (dpa) — 'Over 1300 Political Prisoners Documented In Cuba, Rights...'MEXICO CITY, July 10 (dpa) -- More than 1,300 political prisoners are being held in Cuba, a human rights organization said on Thursday ahead of the fifth anniversary of mass protests
• SecondaryHuman Rights Watch — World Report 2026: CubaThe NGO Prisoners Defenders reported that as of October, Cuba held nearly 700 political prisoners behind bars.