Becket to POTUS: U.S.-Cuba Negotiations Must Protect People of Faith

The following statement can be attributed to Kristina Arriaga, Executive Director at Becket.

Many received with great hope the news that a ‘new chapter’ in US-Cuba relations is beginning.

Becket hopes that the upcoming negotiations include robust protections for religious people who have suffered tremendous oppression, incarceration, torture and a 30-year ban on religious holidays—including Christmas—which was only lifted before Pope John Paul II’s visit.

If there is one Dickens-like story that truly needs a redemptive ending it is the story of the Castro brothers and their chokehold on free expression.

Becket is a non-profit, public-interest law firm dedicated to protecting the free expression of all religious traditions. For over 20 years, it has defended clients of all faiths, including  Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Native Americans, Sikhs, and Zoroastrians. Its recent cases include two major Supreme Court victories: the landmark ruling in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, and the 9-0 ruling in Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC, which The Wall Street Journal called one of “the most important religious liberty cases in a half century.”

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For more information, or to arrange an interview with one of the attorneys, please contact Melinda Skea at  media@becketlaw.org  or call 202.349.7224.