The evangelical pastors Luis Guillermo Borjas and Roxana Rojas are facing a prosecutor's request for eight years in prison in the Isle of Youth, after intervening in the military trial of their son, Kevin Lay Laureido Rojas, who is accused of evading Mandatory Military Service (SMO).
The trial against the pastors is scheduled for next June 9. Luis Guillermo Borjas is in prison, isolated in a cell, while Roxana Rojas was released hours after her arrest, having suffered a cardiac decompensation.
The organization World Christian Solidarity reported that Rojas was harassed by an agent dressed as a nurse during her hospitalization.
Why were the Cuban pastors arrested?
The arrest of the pastors was reported on the day their son appeared before a court in Cuba for allegedly evading his conscription into military service.
Kevin, who has psychiatric and orthopedic conditions recognized by a medical commission, had been compelled to join the SMO. After not receiving his medications in the unit, he fled the military facility, which is why he now faces a prosecution request for four years in prison.
During his son's trial, the pastors presented medical documentation justifying his disqualification. When the prosecution dismissed it, they responded that an "injustice was being committed against men and against God," which triggered an immediate reaction from the prosecutor, who ordered their arrest for "contempt and disobedience."
Who has reported this case of repression in Cuba?
The case has been reported by the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights and the Alliance of Christians of Cuba, which described it as a serious attack against religious freedom and freedom of expression.
The Assemblies of God in Cuba, the denomination to which the pastors belong, expressed their concern and hope that it is a misunderstanding.
Despite the Cuban regime's claims of respecting religious freedom, more than 990 incidents of violations in this area have been documented in 2024 alone.
The control of the Office of Religious Affairs and the repression against independent Churches highlight a restrictive policy towards those who express their faith outside the official framework.
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