Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo, a Cuban Pastor, was released from prison before he completed his eight-year sentence for peacefully protesting in 2021. He is one of several political prisoners who were freed after the United States government removed Cuba from a key terror list. Rosales Fajardo was released on Friday from Mar Verde prison as part of a mass amnesty, according to the United Kingdom-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide.
He was one of 553 political prisoners chosen to be released. Afro-Cuban Yoruba religious leader Donaida Pérez Paseiro was also released from imprisonment. However, Pérez Paseiro’s husband, ethnic Yoruba leader Loreto Hernández García, remains imprisoned. The mass release of religious leaders came after the U.S. announced it would remove Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.
The decision was criticized by both Democrats and Republicans. Critics allege that Cuba is complicit in enabling Hamas, Hezbollah, and other “terrorist enemies” of the U.S. Pastor Rosales Fajardo was first arrested on July 11, 2021, in Palma Soriano. He was among hundreds of peaceful protestors who participated in peaceful demonstrations across the island.
The International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance released a statement that said authorities “beat him and treated him in a violent and humiliating manner” following his arrest. The alliance, made up of eight separate nations, thinks that his arrest was politically motivated. They cite his religious leadership and involvement in nonviolent gatherings.
According to The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, his arrest was “arbitrary.” After his detention, he was prosecuted on charges that included disrespect, assault, criminal incitement, and public disorder. The number of political prisoners has increased 5 times in Cuba since 2021. At the time, the government cracked down on protesters demonstrating for various reasons.
Madrid-based watchdog Prisoners Defenders says the protests were caused by several reasons including a shortage of medicine and food during the pandemic. This was the largest protest against Cuba’s Communist dictatorship since 1959 when Fidel Castro took power. Initially, the pastor was confined to Boniato Maximum Security Prison.
Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo’s family report that he was transferred to a lower-security facility closer to home in 2023. The IRFBA says the pastor was “singled out for humiliation” in prison. Guards allegedly spoke disparagingly about his faith. He was housed in a “punishment cell” in 2022 after he refused to halt sharing his religious teachings inside the prison.
Repeatedly, family members shared their concerns over his treatment and the conditions of confinement. During the trial, only prosecutors were permitted to introduce evidence. The pastor’s lawyer was restricted from accessing case files. CSW’s Director of Advocacy Anna Lee Stangl says the pastor and Yoruba leader have withstood “abusive treatment.” She said, “We call on the Cuban government to immediately release Loreto Hernández García, and to ensure that Pastor Rosales Fajardo and all political prisoners and their families are free to enjoy their freedom without any further harassment.” The organization cited a document from the Permanent Mission of Cuba in Geneva to the United Nations. This documented an eight-year sentence, which was eventually revised term of seven years without a clear explanation.