Wife and Children of Imprisoned Cuban Pastor to be Evicted

SURREY, ENGLAND (ANS) — Cuban authorities have notified the wife of imprisoned Pastor Omar Gude Perez that the family home will be confiscated.

According to a news release from human rights organization Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), the family will be relocated to a significantly smaller apartment in poor condition outside the city of Camaguey.

CSW reported that Kenia, the pastor’s wife, has told officials she and her children will not leave the home voluntarily. She has called on the European Union, and other members of the international community, to actively monitor the family’s situation.

According to CSW, government officials have been threatening the family with eviction since last July, when Perez was sentenced to a six year and seven month prison term.

CSW said the official reason given for the home seizure and the family’s subsequent move is “illicit gain.”

However, the organization said, Kenia has been informed repeatedly by the authorities that she is being punished for continuing to inform international human rights organizations, and representatives of foreign governments, about the human rights violations her family has suffered.

CSW said the family will be forced to move from what Kenia described as a large comfortable house in the city to a three bedroom apartment in very bad condition. She said the location of the apartment, outside the city, will make it difficult for the children to travel to and from their school.

CSW’s National Director, Stuart Windsor said in a news release, “There is no justifiable reason for the confiscation of the family home, and the authorities’ targeting of innocent children is absolutely reprehensible. The international community must make it clear to the Cuban government that the persecution of this family must stop. CSW continues to demand the release of Pastor Gude Perez, but also insists that the government leaves Kenia and their two children in peace.”

CSW is a human rights organization which focuses on issues of religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs, and promotes religious liberty for all.

Jeremy Reynalds is a freelance writer and the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico’s largest emergency homeless shelter, http://www.joyjunction.org. He has a master’s degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is “Now You See Me.”

Courtesy of http://www.freechristianpress.com/persecution/wife-and-children-of-imprisoned-cuban-pastor-to-be-evicted/