Only in 2010 did the Cuban regime admit chaplains to the cruel prisons that for decades crushed the bones and spirits of dissidents. The concession was to allow a process through which religious leaders could receive a license to provide religious support to all kinds of prisoners on the island.
However, this apparent step forward in respect for religious freedom is constantly violated by prison authorities. In the case of political prisoners, it is a double punishment for the unforgivable affront of confronting the regime.
A report by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), which included interviews with 181 prisoners in Cuba, 102 of whom were imprisoned for political reasons, denounced that authorities at the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) and its Prisons Department consider religious freedom “a benefit” and not a right. Under this interpretation, access to Bibles and religious assistance is arbitrarily denied, and religious services are prohibited, in clear violation of the U.N. Nelson Mandela Rules.
“They call us ‘parasites,’ ‘religious worms,’” a man sentenced to seven years, part of the list of 1,158 political prisoners on the island today, told the report. Meanwhile, a woman sentenced to 10 years expressed, requesting anonymity, “I am deeply affected because they don’t want me to practice my faith. Since I was imprisoned, I have never been able to enjoy a religious visit.”
Mistreatment in this regard occurs by design. The laws and regulations associated with the Castro prison system only allow religious services through institutions “authorized” by the MININT, such as the ecumenical and pro-regime Council of Churches of Cuba or the Conference of Cuban Catholic Bishops. Thus, it excludes leaders of hundreds of thousands of members of churches and other faith groups that the State refuses to legalize.
We’re talking about tens of thousands of people affected by these policies. In 2020 (the last time Cuba released official statistics on the number of detained people), the number of prisoners had reached 90,000. This number did not consider those held in labor camps. But CSW estimates that current numbers are likely to be higher, “given the ongoing crackdown on dissent over the past five years and the updated criminal code, which imposed tougher penalties for all types of crimes.”
More than 90% of those interviewed for the CSW report said they were unable to practice their religion. Guards interrupt or punish those who try to pray, sing, or perform rituals. “When I seek some privacy to pray, the guards tell me that if I continue with my beliefs, they’ll send me to the punishment cell,” recounted one inmate sentenced to 20 years.
All respondents said they had requested religious visits; but the vast majority, 79%, had never received them. “They say the visits are ‘against the Revolution,’” revealed a man sentenced to 15 years for participating in the mass protests of July 11, 2021.
In addition to the appalling sanitary and nutritional conditions in Cuban prisons, inmates face significant limitations in accessing religious literature. A Bible is a luxury. Of the 181 interviewed, only 26 received one, occasionally.
But, in this terrible scenario, what can the free world do to demand that Castro-era socialism guarantee inmates’ right to practice their faith without reprisals?
In addition to allowing the International Committee of the Red Cross access to all prisons, as CSW has pointed out, it would be of great impact if the United States took or continued to take actions such as maintaining Cuba as a Country of Particular Concern in regard to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and urging the government to uphold the Nelson Mandela Rules in its prisons.
Also, the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom and U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) commissioners should request an invitation to visit Cuba with unhindered access to all parts of the country, including prisons, and the ability to freely meet with family members of prisoners.
The U.S. Congress and the State Department could keep providing support for efforts in Cuba to move towards democracy and establish rule of law with respect for fundamental human rights, including freedom of religion or belief. And diplomatic staff based in Havana can engage with representatives of diverse religious groups and family members of prisoners, including discussion of their experience of FoRB in Cuban prisons.
A key part would be to reject visas to MININT officials responsible for FoRB abuses, including those associated with the Department of Prisons.
For my part, I believe it’s pertinent to add one more recommendation: Establish a connection with religious freedom activists in Cuba (as advisors), to work with the Presidential Religious Liberty Commission and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to arrest and deport religious freedom violators in the country. How does it serve the U.S. national interest to leave these civil liberties violators within its territory?
