A long-time case of CSW's, Pastor Omar Gude Perez's family has been given asylum in the US, but denied permission to leave his native Cuba.
Pastor launches public appeal to leave Cuba
A pastor in the Apostolic Movement, an active protestant network of churches, has launched a public appeal this week. It comes as Pastor Omar Gude Perez, his wife and two children were granted asylum in the United States in July but were refused permission to exit their native Cuba.
Following negative press coverage, Cuban officials told the family they would in fact be allowed to leave, but three months on the family claims not to have seen any indication that they will be permitted to go into exile. The family also told CSW that they are concerned about long delays and contradictory messages.
Pastor Gude served almost three years of a six-and-a-half year prison sentence on fabricated charges. He was released on conditional liberty earlier this year but is prohibited from preaching or from travelling outside the city of Camaguey, where his family lives.
Church leaders under sustained pressure
Pressure on other pastors in Cuba is also increasing. Two pastors, a couple from the same network in Camaguey as the Gude family, have been repeatedly threatened with imprisonment and forcible closure of their church. On the most recent occasion, Benito Rodriguez and Barbara Guzman were ordered to appear at the local Ministry of Justice on 11 October and fined 200 Cuban pesos - approximately one month's salary in Cuba.
Last month a Baptist pastor in the province of Santa Clara, Mario Felix Lleonart Barroso, was put under house arrest on multiple occasions. Officials warned the family that they could be a target of an "act of repudiation": government-orchestrated mobs often mobilised by officials to intimidate and attack human rights and democracy activists.
CSW backs Gude family
CSW's Special Ambassador Stuart Windsor said, "We are deeply concerned at the news that Cuban officials have once again declined to issue the Gude family an exit visa. News of increased pressure and threats against other church leaders is also extremely worrying. CSW calls on Cuba once again, to uphold its commitments as a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and to cease harassment of religious leaders. We hope that the government will also honour its promise to the Gude family to allow them to leave the country and begin a new life in the United States without any further delay."
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