CubaMinrex. Sitio del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Cuba

Cuba Accuses Washington of Holding the Cuban Five Hostage

Caracas, Aug 12 (Prensa Latina) President of the Cuban Parliament Ricardo Alarcon accused the US of keeping hostage the five Cuban anti-terrorist fighters confined in US prisons since 1998, after an appeal court reversed the convictions against them.

In a meeting with journalists in the press center of the 16th World Youth Festival in Caracas Thursday, Alarcon asked all people of good will to demand the immediate and unconditional release of the Cuban Five.

Alarcon said that on August 9, an appeal court in Atlanta, Georgia reversed the convictions which had resulted in excessive sentences, including two life, for the anti-terrorist fighters who had infiltrated violent anti-Cuban groups to stop terrorist activities against the island.

Alarcon called on people to flood the US General Attorney"s Office with faxes, emails and letters demanding the release of the Cuban Five.

"If the US government wants to accuse them over again, it may do so, but it has the obligation to release them now," Alarcon stated.

He said that the US government was violating its own Constitution with such an action, and the world is watching what is happening.

He also pointed out that a group of UN experts had concluded that the arrest and penal processes applied to the Cuban Five were arbitrary and a violation of international law even before the Atlanta Appeal Court made its decision.

The Atlanta Appeal Court also ordered a new trial in a US city other than Miami, where the first trial took place, and known for the control exerted by Cuban-born extremist groups living there.

<< Back