What changed

B100402/2026

European Parliament resolution on political prisoners in Cuba, in particular the case of Félix Navarro and his daughter Saylí Navarro

European Parliament resolution on political prisoners in Cuba, in particular the case of Félix Navarro and his daughter Sayli Navarro

(2026/2874(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Rule 150 (5) of its Rulesprevious ofresolutions Procedure,on Cuba,

A. whereas veteran political opposition leader Félix Navarro was arrested after the July 2021 protests and sentenced in 2022 to 9 years in prison on charges of assault and public disorder; whereas Navarro serves his third sentence as political prisoner since 1992; whereas Félix Navarro’s daughter, Sayli Navarro, was also sentenced in 2022 to 8 years for taking part in these protests;

– having regard to Rule 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

B. whereas Cuba has one of the highest documented numbers of political prisoners in the world; whereas political persecution is not limited to organised opponents but also affects citizens who protest against the poor living conditions; whereas according to the “NGO Prisoners Defenders”, there are 1,339 political prisoners in Cuba as of August 2026;

whereas the Cuban regime’s crackdown is intensifying through its campaign of repression, arbitrary detention, torture, surveillance, harassment and persecution of activists, independent journalists, religious leaders and their families;

C. whereas 73-year old Félix Navarro has severe health problems and has been victim of brutal beating in prison; whereas Ernesto Brieva Sempé, political prisoner, died on 13 May 2026 in prison after being denied medical attention; whereas 6 political prisoners have died in custody since 2023; whereas mistreatment, transfers to punishment cells, withdrawal of food, as well as violent attacks on political prisoners have increased in prisons;

whereas 72-year-old Félix Navarro, historic dissident, human rights defender and founder of the Pedro Luis Boitel Party for Democracy, was among the 2003 Black Spring prisoners; whereas his daughter Saylí Navarro co-founded the Sakharov Prize-winning organisation Damas de Blanco; whereas they are serving 9- and 8-year sentences respectively for enquiring about the fate of those arrested after the historic demonstrations of 11 July 2021;

D. whereas the number of political prisoners is only one manifestation of the intensified political repression by the regime, marked by extensive social control mechanisms, censorship, police harassment, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, threats against family members, torture during interrogations and the routine use of pretrial detention as punishment;

whereas Félix Navarro was released in January 2025 under an agreement mediated by the Catholic Church, but his release was revoked in April 2025;

E. whereas since 1988, the EU has provided more than EUR 300 million to Cuba; whereas EUR 125 million has been earmarked for cooperation with Cuba for 2021-2027 under the Multiannual Indicative Programme (MIP); whereas the 2016 Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) between the EU and Cuba contains a human rights conditionality;

whereas Félix Navarro, who suffers from diabetes and chronic respiratory illnesses aggravated by years of imprisonment and ill-treatment, was severely beaten by prison guards in April 2026 and then isolated; whereas both have refused the exile presented as a condition for their release;

1. Calls for the immediate release of Félix and Sayli Navarro and all other political prisoners in Cuba; calls for the release and amnesty of all those imprisoned in connection with the July 2021 protests;

whereas 304 repressive actions and a historic high of 1 339 political prisoners, including 155 women and 38 minors, were documented in August 2026; whereas 463 of these political prisoners have serious physical illnesses and 54 have severe mental disorders, but are being denied adequate medical care;

2. Calls for an end to torture and ill-treatment and for medical care for those prisoners with a serious health problem;

whereas the regime systematically resorts to forced exile and threatens family separation as a tool of repression, while making release conditional on accepting expulsion from the country;

3. Strongly condemns the systematic, ongoing and worsening political repression perpetrated by the Cuban Communist regime against its own citizens; is deeply concerned that state terrorism has become the only policy pursued by the regime to maintain power;

Condemns in the strongest terms the Cuban regime’s intensifying repression and systemic human rights violations against political prisoners and their families;

4. Considers that the prisoner release, announced by the regime in April 2026, is only a propaganda operation;

Demands the immediate and unconditional release of Félix Navarro, Saylí Navarro and all other political prisoners;

5. Calls on the Commission and the Council to immediately suspend the PDCA with Cuba in light of the worsening political repression; insists that all EU funds to Cuba are frozen;

Condemns the Cuban regime’s torture and inhuman and degrading ill-treatment of the political prisoners; reminds the authorities of their obligation to guarantee prisoners’ physical safety;

6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice- President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the European External Action Service, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Organisation of American States and the Cuban Government.

Expresses grave concern over the deteriorating health of Félix Navarro and calls on the regime to guarantee him and all other prisoners immediate, adequate and independent medical care;

Reiterates the need for fair trials and the independence of the judiciary and calls for the repressive Criminal Code to be repealed;

Condemns forced exile as a tool of coercion, and calls on the regime to guarantee every prisoner the right to remain in, and return to, their own country without preconditions;

Reiterates its call to activate the human rights clause of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement and immediately suspend the agreement in the absence of concrete, verifiable steps by the regime towards multiparty democracy and the release of all political prisoners;

Reiterates its demand to apply sanctions, under the EU Magnitsky Act, against those responsible for the repression in Cuba, starting with Miguel Díaz-Canel;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the VP/HR, the Council, the Commission and the Cuban regime.