The number of political prisoners in Cuba is going down. According to The Cuban Commission for Human Rights and Reconciliation, there are currently 60 political prisoners jailed in the communist country and 11 people under some form of parole.

This number represents a sizable decrease from the 102 prisoners (12 people on parole) that were noted by the human rights group last year.

As reported by the Associated Press, in January, Cuban authorities released 53 political prisoners at the request of the United States, after the two nations' announcement that they were taking steps to ease relations on December 17.

Elizardo Sanchez, the head of the non-governmental commission, stated, "There was a big reduction from last year because the government in Washington became involved in those 53 cases."

A Reuters report, listing the political crimes tied to the 60 prisoners informs that the group includes armed anti-government infiltrators, hijackers, as well as people who have been accused of violence or of spying, states that there are at least two dozen additional prisoners behind bars right now for charges tied to peaceful political protests.

"The great majority are prisoners because of their political position, for their views, for their convictions," maintains Sanchez.

Describing the current state of Human Rights abuses in Cuba, Sanchez adds, "It's true that there are no longer 15,000 political prisoners as there were 40 or 50 years ago. Before, the repression was built on long prison sentences. Now it's based on many more short-term detentions, a few days or hours. The form has changed."

Since 2010, the Cuban government has released dozens of political prisoners on the condition of exile.

According to Human Rights Watch's 2014 report, “The Cuban government continues to repress individuals and groups who criticize the government or call for basic human rights.”