[NYTr] Who Are the Cuban Five (BostonNOW)

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

[This is a nice piece "introducing" the Cuban 5 (nine years later) to
the Boston public.  It's entirely familiar to Cuba followers, but the
info is presented for the first time here to many in the US. -NYTr]

Boston NOW blogs - Aug 21, 2007
http://bostonnow.com/community/blogs/rek2/2007/08/21/who-are-the-cuban-five-imprisoned-in-the-us/

by Christian Fernandez

Who are The Cuban Five imprisoned in the U.S?

The Cuban Five are five Cuban men who are in U.S. prison, serving four
life sentences and 75 years collectively, after being wrongly convicted
in U.S. federal court in Miami, on June 8, 2001.

They are Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando
González and René González.

The Five were falsely accused by the U.S. government of committing
espionage conspiracy against the United States, and other related
charges. But the Five pointed out vigorously in their defense that they
were involved in monitoring the actions of Miami-based terrorist
groups, in order to prevent terrorist attacks on their country of Cuba.

The Five’s actions were never directed at the U.S. government. They
never harmed anyone nor ever possessed nor used any weapons while in
the United States.

The Cuban Five’s mission was to stop terrorism

For more than 40 years, anti-Cuba terrorist organizations based in
Miami have engaged in countless terrorist activities against Cuba, and
against anyone who advocates a normalization of relations between the
U.S. and Cuba. More than 3,000 Cubans have died as a result of these
terrorists’ attacks.

Terrorist Miami groups like Comandos F4 and Brothers to the Rescue
operate with complete impunity from within the United States to attack
Cuba—with the knowledge and support of the FBI and CIA.

Therefore, Cuba made the careful and necessary decision to send the
Five Cubans to Miami to monitor the terrorists. The Cuban Five
infiltrated the terrorist organizations in Miami to inform Cuba of
imminent attacks.

The aim of such a clandestine operation by the Cuban Five—at great
personal risk—was to prevent criminal acts, and thus protect the lives
of Cubans and other people.

But instead of arresting the terrorists, the FBI arrested the Cuban
Five ANTI-terrorists on September 12, 1998. The Five were illegally
held in solidarity confinement for 17 months in Miami jail.

The trial began in November 2000. With the seven-month trial based in
Miami, a virtual witch hunt atmosphere existed. Defense attorneys’
motions for a change of venue were denied five times by the judge,
although it was obvious that a fair trial was impossible in that city.

In a blow to justice, the Cuban Five were convicted June 8, 2001 and
sentenced to four life terms and 75 years in December, 2001.

A victory in appeals, then a surprise reversal

On August 9, 2005, after seven years of unjust imprisonment, the Cuban
Five won an unprecedented victory on appeal. A three-judge panel of the
11th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the convictions of the Cuban
Five and ordered a new trial outside of Miami.

However, in an unexpected reversal on Oct. 31, the 11th Circuit Court
agreed to hear the U.S. prosecutors’ appeal. Therefore the opinion
overturning the Cuban Five’s convictions has been set aside while a new
appeal is heard.

This is the third time the case has gone before an appeals court.
Initially the verdict was ruled unsound because the men could not
receive a fair trial in Miami, which has a large Cuban exile community.
That ruling was later overturned. Now the federal appeals court in
Atlanta is hearing oral submissions on defense claims about lack of
evidence and the length of the sentences. It must then decide if there
are grounds for a retrial.

for more information visit: http://www.antiterroristas.cu/