At Least 56 People Died in Custody in Cuba Over the Past Two Years

The non-governmental organization Cubalex, which monitors human rights in Cuba and provides free legal assistance on the island, has reported that 56 people have died while in custody of the country's authorities over the past two years. The main cause of death in these cases is violence.

In a report shared on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Cubalex revealed that between January 2022 and January 2024, they identified 36 inmates who died while serving their sentences, 9 who died in police stations, and 11 conscripts who lost their lives during their military service. Only one of the deceased was known to be a political prisoner detained during the July 11 protests (Luis Barrios Díaz). These figures were compiled from family testimonies, press reports, and statements from organizations defending human rights on the island.

Main Findings of the Report

The majority of the deceased were men, with an average age of 32 years, and were considered "common prisoners." Among the 56 deceased, seven were of African descent and 15 were in poor health at the time of death. There have been no convictions of regime officials, and none of the bodies showed signs of violence.

According to the Cubalex report, suicide is the second leading cause of death among inmates (7 cases), with some instances also occurring among young men during their military service. The most recent case was that of Leandro Muñoz Zamora, who jumped from a military bus transporting him far from his family, despite having a psychological report indicating he suffered from a mental illness.

When discussing the deaths of young men in military service, Cubalex places direct responsibility on the state, arguing that it "created the conditions" for these deaths. The report cites the failure to provide adequate medical care and exposing young men to dangerous conditions without proper safety measures or training.

Other leading causes of death in custody identified by Cubalex include denial of medical care, violence, suicides, use of disciplinary measures, hunger strikes, work-related accidents, granting of extrapenal licenses to avoid deaths in prison, and official negligence.

"The analyzed cases highlight a pattern of negligence, abuse, and lack of accountability by the Cuban state," Cubalex stated, emphasizing that the findings also reveal "a systematic pattern of human rights violations against individuals in state custody, exacerbated by the lack of proper, independent, and transparent investigations that ensure impunity for those responsible."

The regions with the highest number of deaths in custody are Camagüey (7) and Santiago de Cuba (6). However, the study warns that "deaths in custody have occurred across almost the entire Cuban territory, affecting individuals of various ages and social conditions. This suggests a systemic and widespread issue that requires urgent attention."