Detained Cuban pastor faces 7-year prison sentence

Detained Cuban pastor faces 7-year prison sentence
by Dan Wooding — ANS

CAMAGUEY, Cuba — Pastor Omar Gude Pérez, whom supporters allege is a
victim of religious persecution, is facing seven years in prison by
request of a state prosecutor.

Authorities have charged Pérez with "illicit economic activity and
falsification of documents." His trial was expected to begin before the
end of May.

According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, those close to the pastor
believe he is being targeted because of his religious activity and
leadership of a rapidly growing Christian movement. The prosecutor's
petition goes on to accuse the pastor of "counter-revolutionary conduct
and attitudes."

Christian Solidarity, a humanitarian organization that specializes in
religious freedoms, said that Pérez has already spent almost one year in
prison without being given a trial. The leader of a non-denominational,
non-political religious movement in Cuba known as the "Apostolic
Reformation" was first detained May 22, 2008, when authorities
originally attempted to charge him with "human trafficking." Those
charges were thrown out in March by a local court that cited a lack of
evidence. The case was then referred to Havana and in early April the
family was notified of the new charges.

The new charges are reported to involve a name change on his birth
certificate, which was changed after his mother remarried.

"The pastor's wife says the new charges are merely an attempt to
disguise the fact that he is a victim of religious persecution," a
spokesperson for CSW said. "She and others familiar with the case point
to the fact that he and the family received threats and warnings to
curtail their religious activities from government officials for months
prior to his detention. A number of other leaders and members of their
religious group have also received threats and been harassed by the
authorities.

"Since Raul Castro took power in early 2008, there has been an increase
in reported violations of religious liberty. Another pastor and
denominational leader, the Rev. Roberto Rodriguez, of Placetas, Cuba has
also been the subject of legal proceedings against him and members of
his family."

The Rev. Stuart Windsor, national director of Christian Solidarity
Worldwide, called on Cuban authorities to release Pérez immediately,
while also challenging the government to stand by the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which it signed last year. The
document guarantees the right to religious freedom for all groups."

"The imprisonment of Pastor Gude Pérez is a clear case of religious
persecution and is part of a larger crackdown on religious groups in
Cuba," Windsor said.

Independent self-governing non-denominational churches, which operate
outside of the traditional, officially recognized denominations, are
often perceived as a threat by the government. The lack of association,
CSW officials said, makes groups like the Apostolic Reformation
particularly vulnerable to harassment. Church leaders have reported that
their phones are tapped, leaders are watched and threatened, and many
church members have been threatened with loss of employment if they do
not leave these churches.

Prior to his imprisonment, Pérez and his wife, Kenia, were working with
another couple to start a small Bible school. Since his arrest, his wife
has been allowed to see Pérez only every 21st day.

Detained Cuban pastor faces 7-year prison sentence (3 June 2009)

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