#Cuba Pastor Banned From Preaching After Prison Release

By BosNewsLife Americas Service

HAVANA, CUBA (BosNewsLife)-- Cuba has released an evangelical pastor from a six-and-a-half year prison sentence under condition that he does not preach and remains confined to his home city of Camaguey, representatives said Monday, March 28.

Omar Gude Perez, a leader of a fast growing network of independent churches, was informed about the conditions by judges in early March following last month's release from prison, said advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).

Gude Perez was was convicted in a summary trial in July 2009 on what Christian activists descrinbd as "trumped up" charges of “falsification of documents”. The charge was based on accusations that he had illegally taken his stepfather’s surname.

Gude Perez said in published remarks that the courts took almost a month to define the conditions of his release after official records showed that his legal surname is indeed Gude Perez.

He was originally detained in May 2008 and charged with “human trafficking”, charges which were later thrown out as baseless by judges in Havana, trial observers said.

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