Cuba Grants Holy Week Pardon to 2,010 Prisoners

Overview

• Cuba, which announced the move Thursday, approved a Holy Week clemency that frees 2,010 inmates in a measure read on state television.
• The government said it chose people who served a significant part of their sentences and kept good conduct, including youths, women, people over 60, some nearing early-release eligibility, foreigners, and Cubans living abroad.
• Officials said the pardon excludes those convicted of sexual assault, pedophilia with violence, homicide, drug trafficking, violent robbery, corruption of minors, crimes against authority, and repeat offenders.
• The release is the second prisoner action in less than a month and the fifth clemency since 2011, with more than 11,000 people benefiting from such measures over that period.
• The announcement comes as Cuba faces strained ties with the United States and a fuel shortfall, with reports of a Russian tanker docking in Matanzas and renewed contacts with Washington, while rights groups say hundreds held for political reasons remain in prison.