Pastor threatened because of association with dissidents

CUBANET

HAVANA, Cuba, August 31 (Leafar Pérez / www.cubanet.org) – Baptist
pastor José Carlos Pérez says he has been warned not to preach against
the government.

Pérez, who graduated from the Baptist Seminary of Cuba in 1991, said he
was forced by the Baptist hierarchy to leave the Cárdenas parish church
in Matanzas province after criticizing several protestant denominations
for remaining silent about human rights violations in Cuba.

"For that reason," he said in an interview, "I had to leave the church
in Cárdenas, and for publicly condemning the rapprochement of the
Baptist hierarchy with Raúl Castro, I was separated from the Convention."

He said there's a campaign to disaccredit him and that he constantly
receives anonymous telephone calls that he should distance himself from
dissidents.

Political prisoner reported beaten on orders of State Security

HAVANA, Cuba, August 31 (Juan Carlos González Leiva / www.cubanet.org) –
Political prisoner Abel López says fellow dissident Ricardo Galván was
recently beaten by guards at the Guantánamo provincial prison on orders
of State Security.

He said the beating took place after Galván had written "Down with
Fidel" and "Down with tyranny" on the wall of his cell in protest after
guards had taken the water heater he needed for medical purposes.

Galván was arrested February 25 on charges of resistance and damage to
the public for writing the word CAMBIO (Change) on walls.

Dissident sentenced to 4 years for disrespect

HAVANA, Cuba, August 31 (Juan Carlos González Leiva / www.cubanet.org) –
Dissident Nelson Curbelo sentenced to two years imprisonment by the
municipal court in Cárdenas, Matanzas province, for disrespecting four
state inspectors, according to human rights activist Leticia Ramos.

Despite security at the trial August 21, Ramos was allowed to attend.

Curbelo, 48, is a member of the Independent Option Movement.

State Security agents and police prevent demonstration

HABANA, Cuba, August 31 (Roberto de Jesús Guerra, Hablemos Press /
www.cubanet.org) – State Security agents and police last week prevented
a demonstration of the Martian Civic League in the municipality of
Arroyo Naranjo, detaining some dissidents and forcing others to disperse.

Among those detained were Julián Guerra, Moisés Mestres, Zoila Hernández
and Alfredo Montano of the Civic League and Georgina Noa of the Latin
American Federation of Rural Women (FLAMUR).

"The protest was organized because of the refusal of authorities to
allow us to meet at the Carmen Church in Central Havana, where we pray
and demand freedom for political prisoners," said FLAMUR's Noa.

Pastor threatened because of association with dissidents - Cuba
Dissidents - MiamiHerald.com (1 September 2009)
http://www.miamiherald.com/1447/story/1210956.html