Amnesty said there were likely many more Cubans who had been detained for peacefully expressing their views, whose cases were hard to document because authorities deny access to international rights groups.

All of the prisoners it listed were associated with opposition organisations in the one-party state.

"For decades, Cuba has stifled freedom of expression and assembly by locking up people for their beliefs and opposition to the government," said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International.

"Over the years, the names of Cuba's prisoners of conscience have changed, but the state's tactics have stayed almost exactly the same," she added.

Many Cuban activists and independent journalists are complaining of growing harassment.

They say that's a sign the government is nervous because the launch of mobile internet last December has given them more of a public platform and ability to mobilise.

Cuba has also undergone a leadership transition, with Raul Castro handing the presidency over last year to his right-hand man, Miguel Diaz-Canel.

All of the prisoners Amnesty listed on Tuesday were men who had been detained since 2015 and sentenced to one to five years of prison for "public disorder," "contempt" or "dangerousness."

Australian Associated Press