Two Christian leaders released after being jailed for protesting human rights violations, “God help me”

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Although numerous people remain in custody, two of the Christians who were jailed during the government crackdown on the recent nationwide protests in Cuba were released into house arrest on Saturday, Christian Today reports.

Another Christian leader has not been heard from since his arrest and imprisonment over two weeks ago.

Both tutors at the William Carey Biblical Seminary, Pastors Yéremi Blanco Ramírez and Yarian Sierra Madrigal were imprisoned for two weeks because they had joined peaceful protests against government human rights violations, and the authorities’ handling of Cuba’s economic crisis, Christian Today reports.

In a statement, Christian Solidarity Worldwide said: “While CSW welcomes news of the release of pastors Yéremi Blanco Ramírez and Yarian Sierra Madrigal, and wishes both men and their families a swift recovery from this traumatic ordeal, neither of these men should have ever been detained in the first place.”

Meanwhile, Protestant pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo remains in a state prison in Santiago de Cuba, where he has been detained incommunicado for over two weeks, Christian Today said. The pastor’s wife, Maridilegnis Carballo, has tried to visit her husband, but was turned away.

Mrs. Carballo told CSW: “I went to the place where they say they have my husband detained. No one would let me see him, they haven’t even allowed us a phone call. Today it has been fifteen days. God help me, our daughter cries a lot.”

Further commenting on the situation, Christian Solidarity Worldwide said in its statement: “The Cuban authorities’ treatment of their families whilst they were in detention is deplorable. We call for all charges against the pastors to be dropped…for the immediate and unconditional release of Pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo and all others who have been detained in connection with the peaceful exercise of their basic human rights.”

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