The Western Baptist Convention Association of Cuba publicly expressed its support for Anna Sofía Benítez Silvente, known as Anna Bensi, and her mother, Caridad Silvente, just hours before the trial that is scheduled for this Thursday in Cuba.
In a statement published this Tuesday on Facebook, the Board of Directors of the religious organization expressed its solidarity with the mother and daughter, both connected to a church affiliated with the Convention, and demanded respect for due process, freedom of expression, religious freedom, and the dignity of both.
"We cannot, we do not want to, and we are not going to leave them alone", stated the organization, which described Anna Sofía and Caridad as honest women, leading simple lives and with a Christian testimony.
The Board also stated that "every human being possesses dignity granted by God" and defended that "the legitimate exercise of truth and transparency should not be criminalized".
He also urged the authorities to act with justice and respect for the law and fundamental rights.
The statement also invites the congregations belonging to the Convention to pray and intercede for Anna Sofía and her mother and to support them during the judicial process.
He also expressed concern for other believers who, according to his statement, have suffered harassment, summons, or restrictions related to their faith or public denunciations.
The organization clarified that it does not assume an institutional political mission, but stated that it has a duty to protect and support its members and those who, as it expressed, suffer "because of justice."
However, in one of the most critical passages, the Board referred to the overall situation in the country and stated that, in a Cuba marked by shortages of food, medicine, water, and electricity, the eventual imprisonment of both would be "the straw that broke the camel's back."
The statement assures that the Convention will be attentive to the development of the process and expressed its hope that the court will act in accordance with due process.
"We pray that this infamy is not committed," the document concludes.
Anna Bensi later shared the statement and wrote: “May the truth triumph, amen”. Her mother also reacted to the declaration with a brief message: “Glory to God”.
The support arrives just one day before the trial set for October 1, after the hearing originally scheduled for September 17 was postponed.
Mother and daughter remain under house arrest and are prohibited from leaving the country.
Both are accused of “acts against personal and family privacy” after recording and sharing on social media the visit of plainclothes agents who came to their home to deliver a summons from State Security addressed to Caridad Silvente.
The process began in March. The case was initially archived after the defense attorney, Roberto Ortega Ortiz, argued that the crime charged required a direct complaint from the person deemed affected.
In July, the MININT sergeant Yoel Leodán Rabaza Ramos filed that complaint, and the case was reopened.
According to Bensi, the officer claims he felt offended by the comments generated after the video was published and intends for both to record a public apology. The plaintiff's attorney has also requested two years of restricted liberty for each of them.
A few hours before the trial, Bensi reiterated that she does not intend to stop expressing herself. In recent statements, she assured that “I'm not going to shut up” and defended her position that she would record and publish the video that initiated the proceedings again.
The content creator has maintained that documenting the actions of state agents serves as a form of protection for her. Independent organizations like Cubalex have also questioned the process, arguing that the use of criminal charges related to privacy to punish the recording of public officials could impact the exercise of freedom of expression.
Filed under: