Organisations Demand Freedom for Cuban Five

Teresa Guiterrez speaks on the Cuba Friendship Caravan at the University of Windsor on July 4, 2007. Guiterrez is chair of the New York Committee to Free the Cuban Five. (Photo: Abayomi Azikiwe).
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos

Organisations demand freedom for Cuban Five

ACN

HAVANA--Several US organisations demanded on Wednesday the release of the five Cuban anti-terrorists imprisoned in that country, pointing out that they are innocent of the charges pressed against them.

The declaration, signed by the US National and International Free the Five Committees, the Marti Alliance, the Antonio Maceo Brigade, the Alliance of Workers of the Cuban Community, and the Jose Marti Association, assures that the case was considered a political issue since the beginning.

The statement underlines that the legal case against Antonio
Guerrero, Ramon Labañino, Rene Gonzalez, Gerardo Hernandez and Fernando Gonzalez never had anything to do with justice, hence the harsh and unjust sentences imposed on them, the Prensa Latina news agency reports.

The signatories committed themselves to maintain and strengthen their struggle for the immediate release of the Cuban patriots. The declaration also reads that, on Tuesday, October 13, the Court of Florida’s Southern District imposed an unjust sentence on Antonio Guerrero, when condemning him to 21 years and 10 months in prison.

That sentence, stronger than the one agreed on by the defence and the district attorney’s office for the re-sentencing hearing, was due to the fact that Miami judge Joan Lenard did not listen to the recommendations made by the government and the lawyers.

Tony had already been condemned by that same court to one life sentence plus 10 years in prison, which was later vacated by the Court of Appeals of Atlanta’s 11th Circuit, for considering it excessive and contrary to legal norms in force.

Fernando Gonzalez and Ramon Labañino are also waiting for their respective re-sentencing hearings which were postponed by the judge at the request of the defence.

In September, 2008, the Full Panel of the Court of Appeals of Atlanta’s 11th Circuit overturned the previous sentences of these three anti-terrorists for considering them incorrect, resultant from a biased legal process. —ACN.