by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - Authorities in Cuba are looking to impose a 10-year prison sentence on a pastor who participated in nationwide peaceful protests against the government on July 11, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports. Currently held at the Boniato maximum security prison, Pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo of the Monte de Sion Independent Church in Palma Soriano has been charged with ‘public disorder,’ and ‘disrespect’ among other offenses.
Pastor Fajardo’s wife Maridilegnis Carballo told CSW she was informed on 22 October that the government wants a 10-year prison sentence for her husband.
Explaining that Pastor Fajardo has been brutally mistreated by the Cuban authorities, Maridilegnis Carballo said: “I have been married to Pastor Lorenzo Rosales for more than 20 years and we have served God since then. He is not a criminal; he is a man of God. I am very afraid for his life, for the terrible treatment to which he is being subjected and even now he is in a situation where he is totally unable to defend himself.
“They are violating everything; all they value are lies,” Maridilegnis Carballo said about the government. “My children and I plead for help, please, these are cries for help which we lift up to God and to you. He is in danger.”
In a statement about the Fajardos’ plight, CSW Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: “We share Maridilegnis Carballo’s disappointment in learning that the Cuban government will be seeking to impose a 10-year prison sentence on Pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo, and are horrified, if not surprised, to learn of the inhumane treatment he has been subjected to while in prison. We renew our demand that the Cuban government drop all charges and immediately release Pastor Rosales Fajardo.”