Adán Kiubel Castillo Echavarría, a 22-year-old political prisoner from the 11J attacks, was released on November 21st. for not wanting to work in a job under the regime. It should be noted that the young man had been released from prison in January 2025 and was on parole.
According to information compiled by Cubalex, He was arrested and is currently in Valle Grande prison in the Cuban capital. More than three weeks after the revocation, his family has only seen him once and has no further details about his physical and emotional condition. Authorities have not allowed any visits at this time.
He was initially taken to the Capri police station in Havana, where officers indicated he might receive a fine for alleged infractions, information they changed several times over the following days. Over the weekend, officers repeatedly informed him that he would be fined 7,000 pesos.
On Monday, November 24, when the family went to the police station to find out the details of the alleged fine, they were informed that it was no longer an administrative sanction, but rather a measure of preventive detention, and that Adán Kiubel would be transferred to the center known as “El Vivac.” During the process, he attempted to exercise his right to make a phone call, but was denied several times.
Later, authorities transferred him to the Valle Grande prison, according to a message he managed to send through another person due to the limited communication allowed. His family was able to see him briefly at the beginning of the following week, but since December 1st they have not been able to visit him and communication has only been by telephone.
Legal analysis: revocations of Cuban political prisoners after January negotiations
In January 2025, the Cuban regime began a process of releasing people deprived of their liberty in the context of negotiations with the Vatican and the United States. According to civil society organizations, of the 553 people released, only about 200 were political prisoners, while the rest were common criminals.
However, the State avoided recognizing the agreements that motivated these releases and it was a process marked by a lack of transparency, the absence of guarantees, the non-existence of a comprehensive reparation system for the victims and the refusal to recognize state responsibility, among other serious omissions denounced at the beginning of the year by Cubalex.
To date, the organization records that At least seven political prisoners, including Castillo Echavarría, were released in that context, They were returned to prison.
Cubalex's legal team points out that the early releases granted to several political prisoners were not based on legal guarantees or human rights standards, but rather on political agreements between Cuba, the United States, and the Vatican. According to the analysis, These agreements were essentially politically motivated and functioned as a “bargaining chip.” to gain diplomatic advantages. With the breakdown of these agreements—for example, Cuba's return to the list of state sponsors of terrorism and the death of the Pope who participated in the negotiations—the regime has ceased to respect the conditions under which they were released.
They also emphasize that those whose releases are being revoked have highly visible profiles: they are activists with a strong social media presence, supported by international organizations, and who have maintained a critical stance since their release. Furthermore, They have refused to cooperate with State Security and continue to exercise fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and public denunciation. This combination of visibility, resilience, and continuity in their activism makes them targets of retaliation through arbitrary revocations of their parole or extra-penal licenses.
From a legal standpoint, serious patterns have been identified: lack of transparency, systematic violations of due process, and absence of minimum guarantees. They point out that the State, in most cases, fails to notify those affected of the revocation order, a document essential for understanding the alleged legal reasons, exercising the right to defense, and challenging the decision.
According to Cubalex, the revocations lack any known legal basis, are carried out without notification or respect for the rights of defense, and respond to a pattern of political retaliation against prisoners with a high profile of opposition and activism after their release.