Updated

The mother of the Cuban artist known as El Sexto tells The Associated Press that he has been freed after spending 10 months behind bars for attempting to release two pigs painted with the names of Raul and Fidel Castro, the country's current president and former leader.

Maria Victoria Machado said Tuesday afternoon that her son Danilo Maldonado had just arrived home from prison.

His case had been taken up by international human rights groups and seen as a sign of the Cuban government's continued intolerance of criticism of the country's most important figures, despite the declaration of detente with the United States.