HRC55: Adoption of Cuba UPR Outcome

Item 6:Adoption of Cuba’s UPR Outcome

Organisation:Christian Solidarity Worldwide

Speaker: Ellis Heasley

Thank you Mr President,

CSW welcomes Cuba’s co-operation with the UPR process.

We echo the recommendation of the United States which called on the government of Cuba to ‘cease the practice of arbitrarily detaining journalists, opposition members, human rights defenders, religious actors and other persons seeking to exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms.’

Over the past year the Cuban Communist Party has increasingly returned to hardline tactics in its efforts to stifle dissent in the country.

The authorities systematically violate the Nelson Mandela Rules regarding the treatment of political prisoners who are consistently refused religious visits or the right to receive religious materials.

Among these political prisoners are a number of religious leaders who were imprisoned on and following the 11 July 2021 protests, including Protestant pastor Reverend Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo, and Afro-Cuban religious leaders Loreto Hernández García and Donaida Pérez Paseiro.

The charges against all of these individuals are unfounded. CSW continues to call for their immediate and unconditional release, and that of all other political prisoners in Cuba.

We further urge Cuba to guarantee all prisoners, whether criminal or political, their basic human rights, including those related to freedom of religion or belief as defined in the Nelson Mandela Rules.

Across the island, religious leaders are pressured and threatened to expel family members of political prisoners from their congregations; children are subjected to physical and verbal abuse at school on account of their religious beliefs; and leaders of both registered and unregistered religious groups face regular harassment, threats, interrogation and fines.

As a member of the Human Rights Council, Cuba must uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights.

We call on Cuba to guarantee freedom for all religious leaders to carry out their work without harassment, threats or other government pressure targeting them or their families, to safeguard the freedom of all Cubans to assemble and worship according to their professed religion or belief, and to put a stop to the mistreatment in schools of children because of their religion or belief.

Thank you.