A respected Cuban church leader who was unexpectedly arrested and tried in court last week has been cleared of all charges after his accusers gave contradictory evidence against him. Reverend Roberto Rodriguez was allowed to return to his family and is recuperating at home after being found not guilty of “threatening behavior”.
According to Reverend Rodriguez’s family, state security officials arrived at their home without warning on 30 August and forced Reverend Rodriguez to go with them. The 67 year old pastor, who is in poor health, was unable to take his medication and was forced to hitchhike with the two officials from Cardenas to Santa Clara. They arrived at 1 am and the following day traveled to the town of Placetas, in Central Cuba, where Reverend Rodriguez stood trial on Thursday 2 September.
Prosecutors recommended that Reverend Rodriguez be given a 1-year prison sentence, but following the contradictory evidence given by his accusers, the Rodriguez family believes the tribunal had no choice but to find him not guilty. However, the court handed down a fine to the church leader for reasons that are unclear.
Reverend Rodriguez became a government target after the organisation he led publicly withdrew from a government sanctioned religious umbrella group in the second half of 2008. CSW believes that the criminal charges against him are an attempt to discredit and silence him.
Charges were first brought against Reverend Rodriguez in late 2008 but no trial date materialised and he has spent the last 21 months under house arrest. Meanwhile, his family has suffered verbal and physical abuse from their neighbours, apparently acting with the support of the government, and their house has been vandalised.
CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said, “CSW welcomes the news that Reverend Rodriguez was found not guilty of the charges against him. The treatment that Reverend Rodriguez, a respected national leader and pastor for 48 years, has endured over the past two years, simply because his organisation resisted attempts by the government to interfere in their internal affairs, is a disgrace. CSW calls on the Cuban government to ensure that restitution is made to the family for the damage caused to their house by their now discredited accusers, and that they are allowed to return to their home with the full guarantees of protection that are their right as Cuban citizens.”
For further information or to arrange interviews please contact Kiri Kankhwende, Press Officer at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045 / +44 (0) 78 2332 9663, email kiri@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk.
CSW is a human rights organisation which specialises in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all.
Notes to Editors:
1. Reverend Rodriguez is a pastor in the Los Pinos Nuevos denomination and was the national president of CIMPEC, the Interdenominational Fellowship of Evangelical Pastors and Ministers. CIMPEC formally withdrew from the Cuban Council of Churches citing constant government interference in their internal affairs.
2. The behaviour of Reverend Rodriguez’s neighbours is consistent with a government strategy of encouraging “acts of repudiation”, where civilians are encouraged to harass and sometimes attack Cubans who have fallen foul of the authorities, usually human rights or democracy activists. The harassment of the Rodriguez family culminated in a physical attack against Reverend Rodriguez’s daughter-in-law, who suffered a miscarriage and was hospitalized.
3. CSW’s press release on Reverend Rodrigo’s arrest can be found on the CSW website, www.csw.org.uk.
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