A prominent Cuban Church leader has learned that he will finally face trial this Friday on questionable charges.
Pastor Robert Rodriguez of the Los Pinos Nuevos de Sagua la Grande Church faces charges of "offensive behaviour", which were brought by neighbours who had allegedly carried out a campaign of harassment against his family for a number of years. He was only given nine days notice of the impending trial, and prosecutors have requested a one-year prison sentence.
Pastor Rodriguez, who is currently receiving medical care after losing a substantial amount of weight, was notified on 18 February that he must present himself in court this Friday, 27 February at 8:30am. The pastor's physical presence is mandatory despite his current ill health.
Pastor Rodriguez' trial had originally been scheduled for 29 December, but was suspended at the last minute by the Cuban authorities. No explanation was given for this suspension. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is concerned that the approaching trial may not be conducted fairly.
Friends of Pastor Rodriguez state that the trial is part of a government-supported campaign to discredit and silence him. The Reverend was National President of the Interdenominational Fellowship of Evangelical Pastors and Ministers in Cuba (Spanish acronym; CIMPEC) until October last year, when officials from the government Registry of Associations department removed him from office. Under his leadership CIMPEC had withdrawn from the Cuban Council of Churches (CCC) in September 2008, citing consistent and illegal interference in its internal affairs by the CCC leadership over the past year. The subsequent removal of Pastor Rodriguez was deemed unconstitutional by members of CIMPEC, as it was done without their involvement or approval.
Pastor Rodriguez's son Eric Gabriel Rodriguez del Toro, who is a pastor in north central Cuba, was also accused of "offensive behaviour" by the same neighbours. He was tried on 8 December, and sentenced to three-months to one-year's probation. Another church leader, Pastor Omar Gude Perez, has been held in prison since May 2008 without being brought to trial. According to church leaders in Cuba, these situations illustrate a pattern of official intolerance towards religious leaders who resist government interference in church organisations.
Stuart Windsor, National Director of CSW said; "We are extremely concerned that Pastor Rodriguez will not receive a fair trial, and are calling for the European Union, and particularly the European Commission, to act under the Guidelines for Human Rights Defenders and send a presence to the Placetas court hearing without delay. Religious freedom must be respected in Cuba, and the international community must make clear to the Cuban government that the treatment to which Reverend Robert Rodriguez and the other pastors have so far been subjected is entirely unacceptable."
Notes to Editors:
- Reverend Rodriguez is being tried in courts in Placetas Municipality, Case reference number: 117/08.
- For a photograph of Reverend Rodriguez and his family, please contact CSW's press office.