Photo by Basil James on Unsplash
Via social media recently, Cuban Pastor Ramón Rigal Rodríquez announced his release from prison, posting to his personal Facebook profile “Gracias a Dios por todos los hermanos que han estado orando por nosotros. Ya estoy nuevamente en casa con mi familia” (“Thank God for all the brothers who have been praying for us. I am back home with my family”).
Pastor Rigal was originally arrested along with his wife Ayda Expósito- who was released in April 2020- for homeschooling their children due to their concerns that their children will be indoctrinated with socialist and atheist values if they were to attend traditional Cuban schools. The couple was charged with “other acts against the normal development of a minor” and sentenced to two and a half years of imprisonment.
USCIRF, while applauding the release and return to safety of Pastor Rigal, calls on the Cuban government to release other prisoners of conscience, including journalist Jesús Quiñones Haces, who was charged with “disobedience” for reporting on Pastor Rigal and his wife’s case.