On political prisoners in Cuba, in particular the case of Félix Navarro and his daughter Sayli Navarro

B100402/2026

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 Rules of Procedure,

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;

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;

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;

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;

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;

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;

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

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;

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

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;

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.