CUBA: PASTOR BARRED FROM LEAVING THE COUNTRY

A Cuban pastor was barred by government officials from leaving the country last month despite having a valid passport and visa. Reverend Bernardo de Quesada Salomón attempted to travel on 27 November to attend a religious conference in the Dominican Republic when he was informed by Cuban immigration officials at Havana airport that he had been categorised as “Limited” and would not be permitted to board the plane. 

The Cuban government eliminated the need for Cubans to obtain an exit visa in order to travel abroad at the beginning of 2013, but for reasons of national security reserved the right to prevent some Cubans from travelling. 

Reverend de Quesada Salomón, who travelled to the United States and to Brazil to attend religious events earlier this year, was not given any explanation for the change in his status and was told to contact the National Office for Attention to the Population (NOAP) for more details.   When he did so, the NOAP suggested that he submit a written request for information to the National Director for Immigration.  He has not received a response yet.

Reverend de Quesada Salomón is a national leader of the Apostolic Movement, a large but unregistered network of protestant churches in Cuba. Despite repeated attempts to register the group, the government has refused to allow them to do so and has aggressively targeted churches associated with the network with fines and threats of confiscation of property. Another Apostolic Movement leader, Reverend Mario ‘Mayím’ Travieso Medina, was also denied the right to travel in January of this year. As in the case of Reverend de Quesada Salomón, Reverend Travieso was told that he was in the “Limited” category and was given no other explanation. 

CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said, “We were disappointed to learn of the Cuban government’s return to limiting its citizens’ right to travel. Reverend de Quesada Salomón’s participation in a Christian conference in the Dominican Republican cannot seriously be considered a threat to national security and CSW is concerned that this may open the door to the Cuban government arbitrarily banning other religious leaders from travelling out of the country. We urge the Cuban government to restore Reverend de Quesada Salomón’s ability to travel and to fully implement this reform by allowing its citizens to travel without hindrance.”

  

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organisation working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

MEXICO: CSW REPORT FINDS “SIGNIFICANT” INCREASE IN RELIGIOUS FREEDOM VIOLATIONS

 

Christian Solidarity Worldwide is marks Human Rights Day on 10 December with the release of its latest report on freedom of religion or belief in Mexico, which finds a “significant” increase in religious freedom violations in the country in recent years.

The report launch scheduled to take place in Mexico , co-ordinated by CSW’s partner organisation, Impulso18. The report, which will be presented to federal and state government officials by Impulso18, highlights government inaction as a factor exacerbating the pervasive religious discrimination across the country: “Although root causes vary, many violations occur with impunity because of reluctance on the part of the state to involve itself in ‘religious affairs’ or to prosecute those responsible for criminal acts linked to religious freedom violations.”

VIETNAM: REVISED CONSTITUTION FAILS TO ANSWER CALLS FOR REFORM

 

A revised constitution for Vietnam, which was passed by a vote of almost 98% on 28 November, has disappointed religious leaders, intellectuals, activists and former officials hoping for political reform by preserving the dominance of the Communist Party.

The amended constitution will come into effect on 1 January 2014. Both the 1992 constitution and the revised version contain clauses protecting the right to follow or not follow a religion, but also include caveats prohibiting the misuse of religions or beliefs to violate the law, which officials opposed to the growth of religion can use to repress religious leaders and groups.

In early 2013, the Vietnamese government invited the public to comment on the country’s constitution and possible reforms. In response, a group of 72 prominent intellectuals and former government officials issued an alternative proposed constitution online, calling for democratic elections, freedom of the press, and private landownership. In March, Vietnamese Catholic bishops offered their own observations and propositions on the draft amendment promulgated by the government. These propositions included constitutional guarantees on human rights, including freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression, respect for the right to participate in the governmental system at all levels, greater emphasis on the role of the National Assembly, and the independence of the legislative, executive and judicial authorities.

However, on 28 November, the National Assembly adopted an amended constitution which retained the dominance of the Communist Party in both the political and economical spheres. According to state media, National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung has heralded the passing of the new constitution a “historic moment.” The article states that the new constitution “clearly and fully reflects the democratic and progressive nature of the Vietnamese State in the transitional period”. In contrast, Catholic media have described the result as “frustrating”.

CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said, “We share the frustration and disappointment expressed by religious leaders and others calling for greater freedoms in Vietnam. As Vietnam takes up a new position on the UN Human Rights Council, the government must ensure its laws and constitutional provisions are in line with international human rights standards, including standards on freedom of religion or belief. We also urge the authorities to take every opportunity to take on board the views and demands of civil society, including religious leaders, intellectuals, political commentators and legal experts.”

 

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.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organisation working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK

The CSW Nigeria Team, family , friends and partners would be praying for Mexico .Please  dont forget to make out time and join us. God bless you

MEXICO: (capital: Mexico city)

POPULATION :120.8 million

Official Language: Spanish

Religion : Christian 95.03%, Non – religion 3.60%, ethno-religionist 1.20%,

PRAYER REQUEST

1.      persecution of evangelical occur in certain parts of Mexico, Believers face prejudice, harassments, eviction in church and property damage. This occurs due to believers’ refusal to participate in community religious events that involve traditional Christo-pagan practices.

2.       Pray that the believers may demonstrate the meekness and love of Christ when maltreated

3.     Pray for full implementation of religious freedom.

CHINA: Lawyers Prevented From Meeting ZHANG SHAOJIE And Other Detainees .

Lawyers representing Protestant Pastor Zhang Shaojie and members of his church have encountered various obstacles that have prevented them from meeting with their clients, who were detained by police on 16 November without any formal documentation.According to reports from China Aid and comments posted by activists on social media, lawyers who have tried to meet with Pastor Zhang and the other detainees have been faced with bureaucratic obstacles, hostile officials, and ill-timed “power outages”.Pastor Zhang, 48, belongs to the Nanle County Christian Church under the state-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM). On 16 November, police forcibly detained Pastor Zhang without any formal documentation, possibly in response to his work defending the vulnerable social groups. Zhang’s sisters and other church members were also detained, and several others were summoned to government offices. Then on 18 November, over a hundred church members and other supporters gathered in front of the city hall to demand Pastor Zhang’s unconditional release.
On 22 November, Lawyer Xia Jun, who has been hired by the church, was told he would be allowed to meet with his client the following week; this assurance was only given after he confronted the Nanle County Public Security Bureau director and secretary with the “mishandling” of the case. However, when Xia and another lawyer attempted to meet with their client again on 25 November, the officer on duty wouldn’t allow them to enter, for the reason that there had been a “power outage”.
Previously, Lawyer Xia had attempted to contact the director of the Nanle County Public Security Bureau and Domestic Security Protection Squad chief, who were either too busy to talk to them, or else denied responsibility for the case.
In addition to these problems, the lawyers were also prevented from teaching other church members about their rights under the law. The officials who blocked the lawyers’ entry to the church, where the lecture was to take place, provided no explanation for their actions. Some sources claim physical altercations between security officers and the lawyers and church members also occurred at the scene.
CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said, “We urge the local officials in Nanle County to allow the lawyers representing Pastor Zhang and the other church members to meet with their clients in accordance with the law. We call on all the authorities involved to make clear any charges brought against the detainees, and to ensure that they have access to legal representation and meetings with their family members.”

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.Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is a Christian organisation working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights, in the pursuit of justice.

CSW Nigeria: SUDAN: Concerns Over Religious Freedom Grows As La...

CSW Nigeria: SUDAN: Concerns Over Religious Freedom Grows As La...:   Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is concerned at the continuing deterioration in freedom of religion and belief in Sud...

SUDAN: Concerns Over Religious Freedom Grows As Lawyer Flees.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is concerned at the continuing deterioration in freedom of religion and belief in Sudan, following reports that a Sudanese lawyer and religious freedom advocate has fled the country after enduring months of pressure and harassment from the authorities Morning Star news reports that Nahmia Ibrahim Omer Shaloka, a Christian Lawyer who promoted religious freedom in Sudan, fled the country after receiving threats to his life from National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) operatives, who required him to report to their offices daily. He was initially arrested on 27 May at his home in Khartoum by the NISS and interrogated for eight hours, particularly about conducting workshops on religious freedom and reconciliation in Sudan. His personal documentation, computer modem and laptop were also confiscated.   News of Mr Shaloka’s flight comes at a time when Sudan’s Christians are experiencing continuing repression. Since December 2012 there has been an increase in surveillance, harassment and detentions of local Christians, and the deportations of many foreigners linked to Christian institutions, including several Sudanese Christians who were deported to South Sudan.  The authorities have also destroyed church buildings in the Khartoum area, raided religious institutions and closed down several church-affiliated institutions. The harassment of Mr Shaloka may herald further restrictions on freedom of religion or belief for followers of minority faiths. The interim constitution recognises Sudan's multi-ethnic and multi-religious character, with Shari’a law as a source of law.  However, in 2011, President Omar al Bashir announced that following the secession of South Sudan, a new constitution would be drafted based on Shari'a law alone not considering the fact that  International law allows States to limit some rights in exceptional circumstances, which are outlined in Article 4 of the ICCPR and explored in some detail in the Human Rights Committee’s  General Comment NO. 29, specifically at paragraph 7. However, certain rights cannot be limited even in the event of an emergency. Article 18 of the ICCPR, the right to freedom of religion or belief, is one of the rights designated as non-derogable. The drafting of the new constitution has remained a relatively closed process primarily involving the ruling National Congress Party (NCP). In April the government invited members of the main opposition party; the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), to join the constitutional drafting committee following calls from the opposition for an opening up of the process. But in October, DUP leader Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani announced that the joint committee established to discuss the drafting of the new constitution had been suspended, and called for all opposition parties and armed groups to be included in the process. Other key constituencies, such as civil society groups, are yet to be included, raising concerns as to whether the final draft will reflect Sudan’s religious, ethnic, social and political diversity. In October, during a consultative coordination meeting with the Islamic Council of South Sudan in Khartoum, state minister at the Ministry of Guidance and Endowments Mohamed Mustafa al-Yakooti described South Sudan’s secular system as “positive”, commending the fact that Muslims faced no coercion to adopt a particular ideology and were free to proselytise. However, he stopped short of advocating a similar approach towards religious minorities in Sudan. Christian Solidarity Worldwide Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas says "A constitution based on Shari’a Law should be implemented only after a genuine popular consultation and consensus, and exemptions should always be made for those of other faiths. Freedom of religion or belief is a non-derogable right and the Sudanese Government must uphold it both in practice and in the new constitution. CSW urges the international community to continually hold Sudan to its commitments under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), particularly articles 18, 19, 21 and 22, which guarantee freedom of religion or belief, freedom of association, press freedom and freedom of expression for all of Sudan's citizens."

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