A pastor’s son in Cuba has been held for two days, for allegedly partaking in a freedom protest.
Jonathan Muir Burgos, 16, was arrested along with his father, Pastor Elier Muir Ávila on Monday 16th March. Pastor Muir Ávila was released on the same day, but his son remains in detention.
Authorities accused him of taking part in the ransacking of the Cuban Communist Party’s headquarters in Moron, in central Cuba. Their church, Tiempo de Cosecha Independent Church, is not sanctioned by the Communist Party.
Protests against the Cuban Communist Party headquarters in Moron broke out after a week of blackouts and severe shortages of food and medicine. One protester was shot after anti-government campaigners set fire to party offices.
The government consequently shut down the internet in the city to stop news of the protests from spreading.
Jonathan Muir Burgos has not been formally charged, but persecution watchdog Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) said he was interrogated about his presence at the protest and questioned over whether he has ever called for “freedom”.
Cuban freedom of religion campaigner Rev Mario Felix Lleonart Barroso has called for urgent action on Jonathan’s behalf, drawing parallels to the arrest of Pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo and his son following nationwide protests in July 2021.
Rev Lleonart Barroso, who leads the Patmos Institute, noted that both Pastor Muir Ávila and Pastor Rosales Fajardo have faced government pressure for leading independent, unregistered churches.
The Cuban government has a history of targeting the children of church leaders as a pressure tactic; earlier this month, officials reportedly attempted to conscript the 23-year-old son of another unregistered pastor into military service.
Concerns have been raised for Jonathan’s health, as he has a serious medical condition.
It is not the first time the family have been targeted; in 2024, Pastor Muir Ávila was visited several times by religious leaders and government officials, who warned him that “only churches that the CCP accepts exist, and only pastors who the CCP recognises can minister, and so, neither he, nor his church were authorised to exist.”
Christian Solidarity Worldwide has called for Jonathan's immediate release, so that his health can be guaranteed.
Director of Advocacy, Anna Lee Stangl, said: "The detention of a 16-year-old child, with a serious medical condition, simply because he attempted to exercise his freedom of expression is unconscionable.
"Despite the gravity of the situation on the island – with rampant hunger, scarcity of medicine, outbreaks of disease and the failure of the power grid, the answer of President Miguel Canel Diaz and the Cuban Communist Party is to round up and imprison those who dare to call for change. The international community must make it clear to the Cuban government that its harassment, threats against and arbitrary detention of peaceful civilians, especially children, is unacceptable and must stop."