Cuba: Human rights groups report prison abuses and deaths

The Centro de Documentación de Prisiones Cubanas (CDPC) reported 79 human rights violations and four inmate deaths in Cuba during September. The findings, documented across 34 prisons, forced labor camps, and penal instruction centers in 12 provinces and Isla de la Juventud, highlight significant systemic issues.

Commonly reported abuses include the denial of medical care (27 cases), health status concerns (26), inadequate nutrition (19), communication restrictions (15), and forced transfers (9). The report identified 72 individuals, including journalist Henry Constantín, as being directly affected by these violations.

Regarding fatalities, the CDPC noted the death of political prisoner Florentino Morono Torres in Las Tunas following a heart attack without timely medical intervention. Reinier Ramírez Domínguez died in Havana due to compromised health linked to deficient prison medical care, while two inmates in Mar Verde, Santiago de Cuba, reportedly died from severe malnutrition.