Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s (CSW’s) new report on
violations of the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in Cuba reveals
that despite developments in Cuba’s relationships with the United States and
European Union (EU), “talk of progress has not yet translated into tangible
improvements for religion or belief communities.”
The report notes that the Cuban government has continued to actively restrict FoRB for a number of religious communities across the island. This is particularly acute for those who have been refused registration by the Office of Religious Affairs (ORA), the branch of the Cuban Communist Party which regulates religious affairs and which is identified in CSW’s report as “the key perpetrator of FoRB violations across the island.”
In 2016, four large churches linked to the Apostolic
Movement, a Protestant church network that has been denied registration by the
ORA, were destroyed by the government in central and eastern Cuba. Government officials
later threatened to confiscate land from two landowners if they continued to
allow the congregations of two of the demolished churches to hold Sunday
services on their properties.
According to the report, “In 2016, CSW recorded 2,380
separate violations of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in Cuba. At least
2,009 of these violations involved entire church congregations, and around 260
involved groups of women or activists arrested to prevent them from attending
Mass. This is a slight increase on the 2,300 cases documented in 2015 – a
record high at the time. The spike can
be attributed to the fact that 2,000 Assemblies of God (AOG) churches were
declared illegal in 2015, a ruling which still stands. By comparison, CSW
reported 220 FoRB violations in Cuba in 2014; 180 in 2013, 120 in 2012 and 40
in 2011.” These figures are not exhaustive, but serve as an indicator of the
rate of FoRB violations in the country.
“The brutal and public strategies used by the Cuban
government to target religious groups, identified in CSW’s 2015 report, continued
throughout 2016. These include public and arbitrary arrests, beatings, and
interrogations in contexts such as going through airport security. CSW also
received reports of more subtle tactics used by the Cuban government, including
the spreading of disinformation about religious leaders.” In addition, the
report details FoRB violations committed during the national period of mourning
for Fidel Castro.
Many religious leaders and members of church congregations
were also closely observed by, and received visits from, state security agents
and political police officers. Every Sunday in 2016 government agents
systematically and often violently detained dozens of women affiliated with the
Ladies in White movement, a non-violent human rights movement, preventing them
from attending Mass.
On 1 February 2017, Reverend Juan Carlos Núñez Velázquez
from Las Tunas, whose case is detailed in the report, was barred from leading
his church for a year and threatened with imprisonment if he does not comply
with this order. On 8 January 2016, his church, which is affiliated to the
Apostolic Movement and was located on his private property, was demolished. Since
then the congregation
has met in the courtyard of his house.
Reverend Núñez Velázquez was found guilty of “disobedience” in October 2016
following complaints that he had broken environmental regulations. His appeal against
a sentence of house arrest was denied in December 2016. The February 2017
ruling clarified the conditions of his house arrest.
As CSW reported in August
2016, Cuban activists are becoming increasingly bold in their efforts to
defend FoRB. Churches have continued to find ways of meeting together, even
after land and church belongings have been confiscated. They have also
continued to publicly denounce violations, despite the dangers this can
involve.
CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said, “CSW is very
concerned that despite developments in Cuba’s relationships with the US and the
EU, the promised freedoms have not materialised for Cuba’s religious
communities. We commend the courage of religious groups who have spoken out
publicly to denounce ongoing FoRB violations, often at great personal risk. We
continue to call on the EU and the UK and US governments to ensure that human
rights, and particularly FoRB, remain a priority in any dialogues with the
Cuban government.’’