HRC48: Oral statement during General Debate under Agenda Item 3

Item 3 General Debate

Organisation: Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW)

Speaker: Claire Denman

Thank you, Madame President,

CSW wishes to draw the Council’s attention to individuals who have been arbitrarily detained on account of their religion, belief, or the exercise of their fundamental human rights.

In Cuba, Protestant pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo has been unjustly detained for over two months after he was arrested on 11 July amid peaceful nationwide protests.

He is currently being held in the Boniato Maximum Security Prison outside the city of Santiago de Cuba. His appeals have been repeatedly denied, and his family have been prevented from seeing him.

We call for his immediate and unconditional release, and urge the government of Cuba to drop all charges against Pastor Rosales Fajardo and all those detained in relation to the July protests.

We remain concerned by the continued detention of retired Uyghur medical doctor Gulshan Abbas, in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

This month marks three years since Dr Abbas’ family last heard from her, and she is currently serving a 20-year sentence on false charges.

We call on China to abolish and end the use of re-education camps across the country, releasing Dr Abbas and all those currently arbitrarily and unjustly detained in the Uyghur region immediately and without condition.

Finally, CSW condemns the death in detention of Indian Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist Father Stan Swamy, who passed away on 5 July.

Father Swamy was 84 years-old at the time of his death, and he had been arbitrarily imprisoned with insufficient evidence since October 2020 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

We call on the Council to hold India to account for Father Swamy’s death, ensuring that a full investigation into this unjust detention is carried out.

Thank you