Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW)
has renewed its call for Cuban leader Raul Castro to ensure that significant
improvements are made in upholding religious freedom in 2014 after research
showed a steady increase in religious freedom violations across Cuba in 2013 as
the result of an ongoing government crackdown on religious organizations and
individuals.
CSW documented 185 reported cases of
religious freedom in 2013, up from a total of 120 in 2012. Many of the
individual documented cases involved entire churches and denominations and
large numbers of people.
While Roman Catholic churches
reported the highest number of violations, mostly involving the arrest and
arbitrary detention of parishioners attempting to attend church activities,
other denominations and religious groups were also affected.
Baptist, Pentecostal and Methodist
churches in different parts of the country reported consistent harassment and
pressure from state security agents.
Additionally, government officials
continued to refuse to register some groups, including the large Protestant
network the "Apostolic Movement," threatening affiliated churches
with closure.
Church leaders in different parts of
the country reported ongoing violations in the final weeks of the year.
On Dec. 20, six members of an
inter-denominational protestant group were beaten and imprisoned for nine hours
in a windowless cell with no ventilation or light after attempting to carry out
open air evangelism in the city of Bayamo.
A few days later, on Dec. 22, 60
women affiliated with the Ladies in White movement were arrested in the early
hours of the morning and held in prisons, police patrol cars and police
stations across the country to prevent them from attending Sunday morning Mass.
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