Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, has welcomed the news of Cuba's possible release of 52 political prisoners a day after the country's Catholic Church made the announcement.

The Cuban government has not made an official statement on the reported move but jailed Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas, who demanded the release of dozens of political prisoners, ended his 135-day hunger strike on Thursday following the church's announcement.

And Spain, which brokered the reported release agreement, is now asking the European Union to rethink its position on Cuba.

Human rights activists, however, are questioning whether there has been any improvement in the communist state's rights record.

Al Jazeera's Teresa Bo reports.