A Cuban pastor claims police are attempting to turn his faith into a crime.


After being brought in to the police station for the third time in four days in August under no legal reasoning, Pastor Alain Toledano Valiente has had enough. He says in an Instagram post that he was brought in by the head of the unit of El Salao, Cuba, where he resides as a way to pressure him to cancel a youth event.

For the pastor, belief and trust in the Cuban criminal justice system are difficult. "I believe what I hear and see as facts, not the words," Toledano Valiente says.

"They want to create a crime to lock me up, create terror in me and my family."

Toledano Valiente claims he was afraid due to the nature of the call. "The announcement was, IT WILL BE FAST, that in Cuba means danger," Toledano Valiente shared with followers.

He was concerned about what he would endure in the cell. "Everything that happens with my life starting tomorrow, I hold the government of Cuba and its representatives responsible,

"They want to create a crime to lock me up, create terror in me and my family, which they will never achieve." Toledano Valiente continued in another Instagram post, "the criminals and bandits in Cuba do not run as many dangers as a pastor, this crime has been manufactured for some time, and since I have not been exiled, they seek to put me in prison."

He is asking fellow believers and human rights protectors to share his story to stop the persecution of Christians in Cuba. "Let this be known to the whole church, the Human Rights Bodies, the OAS, the UN, and as many governments as you can, peace," Toledano Valiente says.  

The pastor and his family are relying on their faith and the help of Christian Solidarity Worldwide to get them through this difficult time. "I entrust my life to the faithful Creator, who will fight all my battles and conquer them," Toledano Valiente shared.

Based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Cuba has obligations to respect the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. However, according to Premier, Toledano Valiente is still officially banned from leaving Cuba and is restricted from moving freely within the country.

 

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