August/September 2005

http://alawda.newjerseysolidarity.org


Cuban Five Verdict Overturned

On Tuesday, August 9, the conviction of the “Cuban Five” - Rene Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero, Gerardo Hernandez, Fernando Gonzalez and Ramon Labanino - was overturned. The Five will face a new trial on the espionage charges against them. The Five were Cubans, in the United States, monitoring the activities of far-right-wing Cuban emigre groups who have, for years, plotted attacks on Cuban civilian institutions, infrastructure and transportation equipment. Nevertheless, they have received support from the United States government, as well as a base of operations to continue their activities. The Cuban Five - who never monitored U.S. government facilities or institutions - were charged with espionage and found guilty in a Miami courtroom, in the center of power for the far-right Cuban groups. The entire trial of the Five was thrown out by this recent decision by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled that the Five could not have received a fair trial in Miami, and that the case would have to be moved to a different venue and retried.

Despite the overturning of their convictions, the Five are still held in prison. The Five had been sentenced to harsh jail terms, including a double life sentence for one. Now that their convictions have been overturned, they are not convicted of any crime; nevertheless, they continue to remain in maximum security prisons.


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