[NYTr] As Hearing Nears, Support Grows for Cuban 5; US Tries to Hide Truth

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Prensa Latina, Havana
http://www.plenglish.com


World Support for Cuban Five Grows

Havana, Aug 16 (Prensa Latina) The World Trade Union Federation (WTUF)
and the Ernesto Che Guevara Brigade called Cuba's friends all over the
world to step up their actions to demand the release of five Cubans
unjustly held in US prisons.

In its call to trade union organizations, solidarity groups and
progressive forces in the continent, the WTUF noted the importance of
mobilizing all antiterrorist fighters on August 20, when an oral
hearing before a panel of judges from the 11th Atlanta Appeals Circuit
will be held.

It is necessary to reinforce the propaganda work to spread the truth
about these five innocent Cubans at national and international events
and among workers, and to hold public demonstrations prior to the
hearing, the WTUF said.

It added that the demonstrations must be aimed at countering US
reactionary media's maneuvers to distort the truth about The Five and
confuse US and world public opinion.

We must denounce the dirty maneuvers, lies and violations of judicial
methods in the trials of Rene Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando
Gonzalez, Gerardo Hernandez and Ramon Laba¤ino, so that it cannot
happen again at the Atlanta hearing, the WTUF stressed.

Meanwhile, the 15th contingent of the Ernesto Che Guevara Brigade, from
Canada, ratified their commitment to working harder for the release of
The Five.

On behalf of the group, Contingent Coordinator Nino Pagliccia read a
statement denouncing the unjust incarceration of the five antiterrorist
Cuban fighters, and called to pressure Washington to grant visas to
Olga Salanueva and Adriana Perez (Rene's and Gerardo's wives,
respectively) to visit their spouses in prison.

The text, also signed by a Greek solidarity brigade, criticized the US
legal system and slammed US media for its silence on the Cubans' case.

The Five were informing Cuban authorities on possible terrorist actions
and sabotages against the Caribbean Island by Miami-based anti-Cuba
groups.

hr/jg/ale/joe

                          ***

US Hiding the Truth about The Five

Havana, Aug 15 (Prensa Latina) National Assembly of the People's Power
of Cuba President Ricardo Alarcon said on Wednesday that Washington is
hiding the truth about the trial against The Five Cuban anti-terrorist
fighters held in US prisons.

Speaking at the presentation of a magazine of the Organization of
Solidarity with the Peoples of Africa, Asia and Latin America (OSPAAAL)
devoted to these men, Alarcon added that the White House commitment to
Florida-based terrorist groups has been proven.

Although we have managed to partly break the wall of silence regarding
irregularities surrounding the case, we are far from fully revealing
what really happened.

He said the recent development of another two judicial proceedings is
evidence of the US government's political manipulation and hatred of
Cuba.

Cuba's top legislator called on the public not to expect anything from
the hearing to be held August 20, when the defense and the prosecution
teams will have only 30 minutes each to speak and no ruling on the case
will be made by the panel of judges.

Other evidence of the official US protection of terrorism that he
mentioned is the decision to prevent the five Cubans, once they serve
their sentences, including two for life, from even going near the
places where these terrorist groups operate.

One day the truth will have to come to light.  Meanwhile, we must carry
on with the fight for it to be known, he concluded.

hr/ccs/rma/leg/jrr

                             ***

Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN) - Aug 15, 2007
http://ainch.ain.cu/mailman/listinfo/ingles

On August 20, Reason to Confront Shame Once Again

By Roberto Perez Betancourt
AIN Special Service

On August 20 a hearing before a panel of judges of the 11th Circuit 
Court of Appeals in Atlanta will open a window to the world where, in 
barely 30 minutes, the lawyers of the Cuban Five will present the case 
for the men's innocence before the disgraceful stubbornness of a 
prosecution willing to comply at any costs with Washington's political 
mandates.

Gerardo Hernandez, Antonio Guerrero, Ramon Labanino and Rene Gonzalez 
were arbitrarily sentenced to long prison terms ranging from 15 years 
to double life terms just for informing Cuba of terrorist plans 
organized in southern Florida by right wing elements. On September 12, 
the five anti-terrorist fighters will have served nine years in prison 
suffering humiliation and physical and mental torture, ordered by 
George W. Bush using all types of legal tricks to prolong their 
incarceration, despite the fact that international legal experts have 
characterized the sentences as illegal and unjust.

Up until now, the long period of imprisonment, appeals and arguments 
have been silenced by the mighty US press, although recently this wall 
of silence has begun to crack.

The recent publication of an extensive article in the New York Times, 
as well as a radio interview carried by the BBC have joined what seems 
to be interest by the international press in the case of the Cuban 
Five. In this context, solidarity with the five has increased in the 
international community, including in the United States, with 
demonstrations being organized in support of justice prior to the 
August 20 appeal hearing. Social activists, politicians, honest 
journalists, competent attorneys, families, Cubans across the island 
and people in general who recognize the noble mission of fighting 
terrorism know the case of the Five is more political than legal. This 
is evident when the prosecution, on behalf of the US government, 
violated basic and constitutional norms in the trail and acted with 
cruelty in the Miami trial. Hatred against the Cuban people is a clear 
expression of a US government's impotence that represents the ideology 
and interests of the right wing, who do not accept the fact that Cuba 
is an independent and sovereign country.

On August 20, the united actions by people of good will in the United 
States and other parts of the world can influence a decision that will 
mean the difference between reason and shame.

                            ***

Alarcon Denounces Judicial Farce in Case of Cuban Five

Havana, August 16 (acn) The President of the Cuban Parliament, Ricardo 
Alarcon, denounced on Wednesday the immorality of the US judicial 
system in regards to the case of the five Cuban anti-terrorist fighters 
who have remained unjustly imprisoned for almost nine years in the 
United States.

During the presentation of the 162nd issue of the Tricontinental 
magazine at the venue of the Organization of Solidarity with the 
Peoples of Africa, Asia and Latin American in Havana, Alarcon noted 
that the case of Rene Gonzalez, Gerardo Hernandez, Antonio Guerrero, 
Ramón Labañino and Fernando Gonzalez - internationally known as the 
Cuban Five - is irrefutable evidence that Washington's war in Iraq is a 
farce that has been carried out in the name of anti-terrorism while 
they manipulate and violate their own laws in the case of the Cuban 
patriots.

"Evidence of that was their immediate imprisonment, without right to 
legal defense, which is a constitutional right, and also that they were 
placed in solitary confinement for 17 months, although the law says 
that the solitary confinement period can not exceed 90 days," Alarcon 
stressed.

"This obstructed their communication with their families and their 
defense attorneys and thus obstructed the legal process, in which all 
the evidence of the defense has not been presented yet," he added.

Alarcon noted that the anti-Cuba media propaganda in Miami have 
significantly influenced and has delayed the process, whose next 
chapter is a third appeals hearing before the 11th Circuit Court of 
Appeals in Atlanta next August 20th.

On this occasion, the issue of the Tricontinental magazine is dedicated 
to the struggle for the release of the Cuban Five.