In Cuba there has been a worrying increase in the number of political prisoners who have been imprisoned for simply expressing their opposition to the Communist Party regime. Among the many political prisoners are some of the most prominent leaders who expressed their opposition to the Cuban government. The list includes Jose Daniel Ferrer, a prominent political activist who is the leader of the opposition organization, Unión Patriótica de Cuba (UNPACU); Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, an artist and activist who has been an active participant in the San Isidro Movement; Maykel Pérez Castillo, an independent journalist; and Félix Navarro, a pacifist activist.
These political prisoners are kept in appalling conditions and have even been subjected to torture and other forms of mistreatment while incarcerated. Multiple international organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have raised repeated concerns about these cases and have called on the Cuban government to release the political prisoners immediately.
Although opinions on the cause and possible solutions for the situation of political prisoners may differ among the masses, it is irrefutable that the behavior of the Cuban government towards political dissidents constitutes a flagrant violation of human rights, as well as an obstacle to the freedom of expression and association in the country.
