Currently, 1,300 political prisoners are arbitrarily imprisoned in Cuba.

Omissions

• The claimed figure of 1,300 slightly overstates the most recently documented figure of 1,260 (Prisoners Defenders, April 2026), a difference of approximately 3%.
• The number of political prisoners in Cuba fluctuates month to month due to new arrests and releases; Prisoners Defenders reported 23 new political prisoners in April 2026 alone.
• The definition of 'political prisoner' is not uniform across organizations: Human Rights Watch's World Report 2026 cited a figure of 'nearly 700' political prisoners as of October 2025, which differs from Prisoners Defenders' own end-of-2025 total of 1,197, suggesting possible methodological or definitional differences.
• The most recent data (1,260) was published by Prisoners Defenders on 14 May 2026, just five days before the parliamentary session; the MEP may have been relying on slightly older or rounded figures.

Sources

• SecondaryPrisoners DefendersPrisoners Defenders documents 1,260 political prisoners in Cuba with 23 new in April 2026, marking an all-time record. The report details torture, sexual aggression and death threats.
• SecondaryPrisoners Defenders (via Facebook official page)Cuba closed 2025 with 134 new political prisoners, ending the year with a total of 1,197 political prisoners.
• SecondaryFreedom HouseMadrid-based NGO Prisoners Defenders reported that 1,161 political prisoners were being held by Cuban authorities at the end of 2024.
• SecondaryHuman Rights WatchThe NGO Prisoners Defenders reported that as of October, Cuba held nearly 700 political prisoners behind bars. Note: this figure diverges from Prisoners Defenders' own end-of-2025 count of 1,197, possibly due to different counting windows or definitions.