Cubalex reports prisoner abuse and medical neglect in Cuba

The human rights organization Cubalex has documented a pattern of physical abuse, isolation, and medical neglect within the Cuban prison system.

Opposition leader Félix Navarro Rodríguez, 73, has been held in isolation in an infirmary cell at the Agüica prison in Matanzas for 66 days. Despite suffering from diabetes and other chronic conditions, he has reportedly not received adequate medical assistance.

In Camagüey, political prisoner Ediolvis Marín Mora, sentenced to 13 years for the 2022 Nuevitas protests, has faced at least 19 documented incidents of repression. These include physical assaults, death threats, and the use of a technique described as ‘the bicycle,’ where a prisoner is handcuffed and thrown down stairs. Marín Mora has also faced isolation and obstacles to accessing healthcare as his physical condition deteriorates.

Cubalex reports that 95 individuals have been involved in incidents related to punishment cells or isolation during 2026, highlighting a broader trend of systemic issues regarding prisoner rights and health services in Cuba.