OCDH
Madrid-based Cuban human rights observatory; primary Independent source for repression statistics
On 5 August, OCDH recorded 356 repressive actions in Cuba during July, including 54 detentions and 109 stake-outs at activists’ homes.
Last refreshed: 22 September 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Who is accountable for Otero Alcántara's disappearance, according to OCDH?
Timeline for OCDH
Mentioned in: Havana mother held over water posts
Cuba DispatchPublished its ninth social-rights study finding 84 per cent distrust of economic measures announced by August
Cuba Dispatch: OCDH puts Cuban extreme poverty at 94%Logged 356 repressive actions in July, above the first-half monthly average
Cuba Dispatch: OCDH logs 356 repressive actions in JulyItemised 91 journalist cases and 50 relative-retaliation cases within its H1 tally
Cuba Dispatch: 91 of Cuba's 1,949 repression casesMentioned in: State TV smears the exiled artist
Cuba DispatchBackground
OCDH is a Madrid-based Cuban human rights observatory that monitors repression affecting people in Cuba. Its published reporting records detentions, home confinement, surveillance and other state actions. On 14 June, it reported 332 repressive actions during May.
The observatory works from exile and relies on information from sources on the island. Its core contribution is a recurring statistical record that can be compared with official accounts, including government Amnesty announcements. Its April checks found no political prisoners on the announced pardon lists.
OCDH also takes its findings into advocacy. On 13 May, it joined three organisations in presenting the Acuerdo de Liberación to the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, seeking asset freezes on named Cuban officials and a victims’ compensation fund.
OCDH tracks state repression
On 5 August, OCDH reported 356 repressive actions during July, including 54 detentions and 109 stake-outs at activists’ homes. For the observatory, the stake-out figure records surveillance as a recurring form of pressure, not merely arrests after an alleged offence.
On 7 July, OCDH had counted 1,949 actions between January and June, including 257 arbitrary detentions and 488 illegal home confinements. Its 4 August breakdown said 91 actions targeted Independent journalists and 50 targeted relatives of political prisoners. OCDH counts actions rather than people, so repeated targeting can appear more than once in its series.
OCDH tests amnesty claims
On 7 April, OCDH said none of the people covered by Cuba’s announced Amnesty appeared on the political-prisoner lists it monitors. It also recorded 277 repressive actions during March, including 53 detentions.
On 16 April, OCDH again found no overlap between 2,061 people freed in two 2026 pardon waves and recognised political prisoners. The finding makes OCDH’s role more than tallying incidents: it provides an Independent test of whether official release figures changed the position of people jailed for political activity.
Does OCDH monitor religious freedom in Cuba?
What did OCDH say about who is responsible for Otero Alcántara's detention?
Is the EU taking action on Cuba's human rights record?
How many political prisoners does Cuba have according to OCDH?
Were any political prisoners included in Cuba's 2026 amnesties?
What is OCDH and where is it based?
What does OCDH report about human rights in Cuba?
How do the US and EU use OCDH data?
Why does OCDH operate from Spain rather than Cuba?
How many repressive actions has Cuba carried out in 2026?
What is OCDH and why does it matter for Cuba's political prisoners?
Who did OCDH name as responsible for Otero Alcántara's detention?
Did OCDH's Otero Alcántara case stay live after his exile to Miami?
