Cuban NGO Denounces 34 Deaths in State Custody in First Half of 2026

The NGO Cubalex has reported that approximately 34 individuals died while in Cuban state custody during the first six months of 2026. Among these deaths were four political prisoners, identified as Ernesto Brieva Sempé, Roberto Álvarez Ávila, Luis Miguel Oña Jiménez, and Lázaro García Ríos. Cubalex asserts that "people deprived of liberty for political reasons are often exposed to higher levels of arbitrariness, reprisals, and rights violations within penitentiary centers and other state-custody institutions." The organization further specifies that this group faces "more severe" confinement conditions, along with "additional restrictions on contact with their families and lawyers," prolonged isolation, punitive transfers, and deliberate denial or delay of medical attention. The report indicates that Guantánamo province had the highest concentration of deaths among individuals in state custody, with nine fatalities. It was followed by Havana, with six deaths, and Santiago de Cuba, with five. Cubalex clarifies that these figures represent an undercount, and the actual number of deaths could be significantly higher due to the Cuban government's lack of transparency. The NGO also criticizes the absence of official statistics and restrictions on accessing public information, noting the fear among families to disclose such incidents due to potential reprisals. The deaths documented up to June 30th, according to the NGO, highlight "the persistence of serious human rights violations in penitentiary centers, police stations, detention institutions, and other spaces of deprivation of liberty." Cubalex reiterates that those in custody "depend entirely on the authorities" responsible for guaranteeing their physical integrity, access to medical care, and conditions compatible with "human dignity."

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people deprived of liberty for political reasons are often exposed to higher levels of arbitrariness, reprisals, and rights violations within penitentiary centers and other state-custody institutions.