Cuba has released prominent dissident José Daniel Ferrer from jail, as part of a Cuban government decision to gradually free more than 500 prisoners as part of talks with the Vatican.

Cuba on Wednesday began releasing prisoners jailed following anti-government protests in 2021, making good on a deal with the Catholic Church that prompted the Biden administration to say it would loosen sanctions on the communist-run nation.

The Cuban government is beginning to release prisoners who were arrested in the historic anti-government protest of 2021 after the U.S. recently removed the island nation from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Cuba began releasing people Wednesday who were jailed for protesting against the regime under a deal that saw the United States remove the communist island from a list of terrorism