HRF condemns Cuban prison authorities’ reported beating of Félix Navarro, a 72-year-old dissident and prisoner of conscience, following a family visit with his wife, Sonia Álvarez. The Council for Democratic Transition in Cuba issued a statement that prison officers subjected him to verbal abuse, searched his belongings, and then handcuffed and dragged him to a punishment cell.

Navarro suffers from diabetes and other serious health conditions, and fresh contusions further endanger his already deteriorating health. His family has repeatedly warned of his declining health in recent months during his detention in Agüica prison. His life is at serious risk.

Navarro was re-imprisoned in April 2025 after authorities arbitrarily revoked his release from three months prior, citing alleged non-compliance with imposed conditions. Navarro’s case highlights how the regime weaponizes conditional releases as tools of coercion and control. Navarro participated in the 2003 Black Spring and the 11J protests in 2021, and is serving a nine-year sentence on politically motivated charges.

Navarro’s case is emblematic of a broader pattern of systematic abuse, torture, and repression against prisoners of conscience in Cuba. HRF calls for his immediate and unconditional release and urges democratic governments to hold the regime accountable for its ongoing and escalating violations of fundamental human rights.