Vatican envoy says prisoner amnesty in Cuba 'on table'

Papal envoy and cardinal Beniamino Stella delivers a speech during an event at the University of Havana to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Pope St. John Paul II's visit to Cuba, in Havana, Cuba, February 8, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini/Pool

HAVANA (Reuters) - Papal envoy and cardinal Benjamin Stella said in Havana on Wednesday a potential amnesty for prisoners jailed in Cuba following anti-government protests in July 2021 was "on the table" but that the response did not depend on the Roman Catholic Church.

Stella, who arrived for an extended visit to the communist-run Caribbean island in late January, told reporters the Vatican had raised the topic of a potential amnesty for prisoners on multiple occasions.