An evangelical pastor once jailed by the regime of Fidel Castro arrived in the United States from Cuba yesterday with his family under a special resettlement program for political refugees.

The Rev. Carlos Lamelas was granted asylum in the United States due to persecution he has endured for more than five years at the hands of Cuban authorities.

Two Baptist leaders who were detained in eastern Cuba while distributing humanitarian aid from American Christians were free Tuesday, October 27, after two weeks imprisonment Christians said.

Last week the charges of “illicit financial activity” were suddenly dropped and they were released, according to Cuban church leaders.

Pressure on religious leaders in Cuba has increased significantly over the past year according to a new report by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). Comprehensive evidence within the document details a sharp rise in religious liberty violations there.

Independent church leaders from the fast growing Apostolic Movement have been particularly targeted for harassment, detentions and court summons by the Government.

A pastor’s wife who lost her baby after a neighbour attacked her on the street, is being fined the equivalent of over two months salary on charges of “disturbing the public order” on that day, Christian trial observers said Friday, August 21.

The attack was the latest in a campaign of harassment against the Rodriguez family, carried out with what Christian Solidarity Worldwide described as “the tacit support of the authorities.”