April 16, 2003

In a letter addressed to the Cuban President, Fidel Castro, the general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Konrad Raiser, expresses regret at the miscarriage of justice in the recent trial in which Cuban political dissidents were found guilty and received heavy sentences. He further urges that their sentences be reviewed and that they be released.

"In view of the summary nature of the proceedings, the gravity of the charges, and the severity of the punishment" in the recent trials of "members of human rights groups, scholars and political dissidents" in Cuba, "the World Council of Churches is of the considered view that there has been a miscarriage of justice," states the letter from Geneva dated 15 April.

According to the WCC general secretary, in order to have had a "fair trial," the accused "should have been tried according to due process of law rather than under Articles 479 and 480 of the Criminal Procedure Code," which he considers to be "applicable in exceptional cases only and should not have been applied to the case in hand."

Raiser also mentions the shock and worry caused by the news that "over seventy people have been incarcerated for exercising their right to freedom of expression" and organization. The WCC "regrets that some of those detained," though charged with serious offences, "were tried by the Court under summary procedures."

The letter continues, "We therefore urge the Cuban authorities to reconsider the orders of detention and the sentences passed on those convicted as a result of the 18 March measures. They should be released immediately. Such action by the authorities will serve to increase the credibility of the Cuban government."

The WCC general secretary does acknowledge "that Cuba has recently experienced an increase in external pressures and interference in its sovereignty and independence, especially by the government of the United States of America." But he emphasises that the authorities should "not allow their decisions to jeopardise the integrity of the Cuban revolution."

In a parallel letter to the Christian churches in Cuba, Raiser says that he is also concerned about "a series of irregularities in the situation of the five Cuban citizens accused of terrorism who have been put on trial in the United States." The WCC general secretary assures them of his prayers "that justice will finally be done in their case."

In the same letter, recalling the condemnation by churches worldwide of "the illegitimate and immoral war in Iraq," Raiser emphasises that "the application of law and justice, as expressed in international treaties, should also be the norm at national level," since "only they are a guarantee of genuine democracy."

In his letter to Castro, which is both friendly and firm in tone, Raiser recalls his visit to Cuba in October 1999 and assures him "of the constant prayers of the World Council of Churches and its many members who share our concern for the peace and prosperity of the Cuban people." He concludes, "May God bless and guide you in the path of compassion and magnanimity."

World Council of Churches