HRF welcomes the release of Jonathan David Muir Burgos, a 17-year-old Cuban who was arbitrarily arrested after participating in a protest in March. Detained at just 16 years old, he became the youngest known political prisoner in Cuba. While his release is a positive development, it does not signal an end to the regime’s systematic repression.

Despite being a minor, Jonathan spent more than three months in a maximum-security prison for adults without trial. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights granted him precautionary measures after warning that his life, health, and personal integrity were at serious risk.

Jonathan’s case reflects the Cuban regime’s growing criminalization of peaceful dissent, including among minors. Since the July 11, 2021 protests, authorities have increasingly relied on politically motivated charges such as “sabotage” to prosecute citizens while subjecting adolescents to criminal proceedings for participating in peaceful demonstrations.

HRF calls on the Cuban regime to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners and end its persecution of peaceful dissidents. Democratic governments must increase pressure on the dictatorship to ensure a peaceful transition to democracy and the protection of fundamental human rights.