There are more than 1,000 political prisoners in Cuba.

Omissions

• The claim uses 'more than 1,000' as a lower bound, but the most recent data available before the session date — the Prisoners Defenders report of 14 May 2026 covering April 2026 — documented 1,260 political prisoners, meaning the actual number is substantially higher than the claimed minimum.
• The number of political prisoners fluctuated significantly during 2025–2026 due to prisoner releases (553 released in 2025 under a Vatican/US-brokered deal, and 51 more in March 2026) followed by new arrests, pushing the total to record levels.
• Different organisations may use different definitions of 'political prisoner', and counts vary. Human Rights Watch cited a figure of over 700 in April 2026, but this referred specifically to those remaining after partial releases, while Prisoners Defenders — the organisation that maintains the most comprehensive list — reported 1,260.

Sources

• PrimaryPrisoners DefendersPrisoners Defenders documented a new absolute record of 1,260 political prisoners in Cuba in April 2026, with 23 new additions, 13 releases or departures, and reports of torture, sexual assault, and death threats.
• SecondaryNPRThe nonprofit Prisoners Defenders has said there were 1,214 political prisoners in Cuba as of February 2026.
• SecondaryFreedom HouseMadrid-based NGO Prisoners Defenders reported that 1,161 political prisoners were being held by Cuban authorities at the end of 2024.