Cuban activist Jose Daniel Ferrer detained once more
Cuban Disidents Questioned Again After Conditional Release Revocation
In an unexpected turn of events, prominent Cuban dissidents José Daniel Ferrer and Felix Navarro found themselves back behind bars on Tuesday, following the rescinding of their conditional release granted earlier in the year.
José Daniel Ferrer, a pioneer in the oppositional movement at the age of 54, and elderly activist Felix Navarro, 72, originally stepped out of prison as part of an agreement brokered with the Vatican, when Cuba was removed from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. However, former President Donald Trump reinstated the island onto the list shortly thereafter.
The Supreme Court of Cuba announced the revocation of the conditional releases of the two dissidents, stating that they had violated the legal guidelines set for their release period. Although the Court did not specify their location, it did mention their names.
Ferrer, the founder of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) and a committed proponent of peaceful resistance for democratic change within Cuba, was freed on January 16, 2025, in Santiago de Cuba (east). According to his sister Ana Belkis Ferrer, who resides in the United States, police stormed the UNPACU's primary headquarters at Ferrer's residence Tuesday morning. Spectators reported that Ferrer, his wife, and their son, along with UNPACU members, were taken away in unmarked vehicles to locations unknown. Ferrer's wife and son were later released after several hours of detention.
In January 2021, Ferrer had been imprisoned while attempting to join historic anti-government protests. The court then ended his conditional release and returned him to prison to serve the remainder of his four-and-a-half-year sentence, imposed upon him in 2020.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court reiterated their justification for revoking Ferrer's conditional release, claiming he had skipped two legal summons and slammed him for these transgressions on social media platforms.
Post-release, Ferrer had flouted authorities by vocalizing his criticism of the communist regime on social media and establishing a soup kitchen at his home to address food scarcity within the community, financed by donations from Cubans abroad. According to Ferrer, authorities admonished his activism for shining a light on the hardship suffered by some residents.
Navarro, who was released on January 18, 2025, and lives approximately 100 kilometers from Havana, also had his conditional release revoked for exiting his municipality without permission from the presiding judge overseeing his sentence seven times. He was arrested at his residence Monday morning, as per the opposition figure Manuel Cuesta Morúa's Twitter announcement.
Navarro and Ferrer were among the 75 dissidents arrested during the "Black Spring" repression wave of 2003. Both activists served their prison sentences and were released in 2011.
The U.S. State Department, through spokeswoman Tammy Bruce, criticized the detentions, branding them as pitiless treatment and unjust incarceration of patriotic Cubans[1]. The Supreme Court made an additional claim that both dissidents maintain connections with U.S. embassy Chargé d'Affaires Mike Hammer[2]. Since January 2025, Hammer has met with various dissidents in different Cuban provinces[2].
Cuban Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Fernandez de Cossio sparked controversy by questioning the legitimacy of US diplomat Hammer in Havana being a proponent of activism that incites Cuban citizens to act against their nation[3]. Cuba disputes the presence of political prisoners, instead accusing dissidents of being U.S.-sponsored mercenaries[3].
[1] U.S. Department of State. (n.d.). Dissidents. Retrieved from https://www.state.gov/dissidents/
[2] Associated Press. (2025, April). Cuba's Dissidents José Daniel Ferrer, Félix Navarro Detained After Conditional Release Revoked. AFP. Retrieved from https://www.france24.com/en/rubrique/under-scrutiny/20250413-cuba-dissidents-jose-daniel-ferrer-felix-navarro-detained-after-conditional-release-revoked
[3] Reuters. (2025, April). Cuba arrests prominent dissidents José Daniel Ferrer, Felix Navarro. Reuters. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/cuba-arrests-prominent-dissidents-bad-week-political-repression-2025-04-23/
[4] Amnesty International. (n.d.). Facts about Cuba. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/americas/cuba/facts-and-stats/
- Despite earlier conditional releases, Cuban dissidents José Daniel Ferrer and Felix Navarro were arrested again in April 2025, with their releases revoked due to accusations of violating legal guidelines.
- As the founder of the Patriotic Union of Cuba, José Daniel Ferrer had been vocal about his criticism of Cuba's communist regime on social media and had established a soup kitchen at his home, drawing criticism from authorities.
- Ferrer's conditional release was first revoked in January 2021, after serving four-and-a-half years in prison for his activism, and he was later arrested again in April 2025, with the Supreme Court justifying this action due to his disregard for legal summons and social media activities.
- Meanwhile, Felix Navarro, who was also arrested again in April 2025, had his release revoked for exiting his municipality without prior permission from the presiding judge overseeing his sentence seven times. Both Navarro and Ferrer were part of the 75 dissidents arrested during the "Black Spring" repression wave of 2003.
