There are more than 1,300 political prisoners in Cuba, including Félix Navarro and his daughter Saylí, imprisoned for defending freedom and for their interest in those detained after the 11 July protests.
85% confidence
Foreign AffairsCuba
Omissions
The figure of 'more than 1,300' is consistent with, and slightly understated relative to, the most recent documented count: Prisoners Defenders recorded a record 1,339 political and conscience prisoners at the end of August 2026.
The reason for imprisonment given for both individuals is imprecise: Félix Navarro Rodríguez was arrested in 2003 as part of the Black Spring crackdown, not because of the 11 July 2021 protests; it is his daughter Saylí Navarro Álvarez who was imprisoned in 2022 in connection with the 2021 Cuban protests.
The count is an NGO-compiled figure (Prisoners Defenders) whose methodology is debated (some analysts separate a narrower figure of 'political prisoners' from the broader 'political and conscience prisoners' total); no official Cuban government figure is available.
Sources
PrimaryPrisoners Defenders — 'Cuba alcanza un nuevo récord de 1.339 presos políticos'Prisoners Defenders registra un nuevo récord de presos políticos: 1.339 prisioneros políticos en Cuba al cierre de agosto de 2026, tras 19 incorporaciones y 7 bajas. Entre ellos hay 155 mujeres (otro récord) y 38 personas detenidas cuando eran menores de edad.
SecondaryThe Next Move — 'Father and Daughter, Political Prisoners in Cuba'There are some 1,300 political prisoners in Cuba, and two of them are Félix Navarro and Saylí Navarro. They are father and daughter. Félix, 73, is in Agüica Prison, a notorious maximum-security facility. Saylí, 40, is in La Belottex, a women's prison.