HAVANA (dpa) – The Cuban government said that it has pardoned more than 2,000 prisoners as a humanitarian gesture during Holy Week.
Those pardoned shortly before Easter included young people, people over 60, women and foreigners, the island’s communist government said on X on Thursday.
It added that sex offenders and murderers would not be released. It was unclear whether any political prisoners were among those pardoned.
The move comes against a backdrop of heavy tensions with the United States. The island state has been mired in a severe economic crisis for years, which has been dramatically worsened over the past three months by a US oil embargo.
Washington has repeatedly called for the release of prisoners and has recently stepped up pressure on Cuba to agree to economic and political changes.
In mid-March, Havana unexpectedly announced the release of 51 prisoners, saying the move was the result of close contacts with the Vatican. There have recently been signs that the church could play a mediating role in the conflict between Havana and Washington.
The government said the latest pardons marked the second release of detainees this year linked to the religious celebrations of Holy Week. It did not draw any connection to tensions with Washington.
According to the Cuban government, the decision to grant pardons was based on a careful analysis that included the crimes committed, good behaviour in prison and the prisoners’ state of health. Those released had already served a significant part of their sentences.
–NNN-dpa
