The Cuban Five's Case is a Legal Aberration

During a working visit in Havana,  Priest Miguel d'Escoto,  current chairman of UN General Assembly, declared that the Cuban Five's case (prisoners in US jails for fighting terrorism) is a legal aberration.  
 
D'Escoto  considered completely absurd that Gerardo, Antonio, Ramón, Fernando and Rene are in prison, in fact,  for working to get information about criminal plans against Cuba in progress from Miami.  
 
He announced that this will be one of the topics he will approach in his final speech in excersise at the United Nations General Assembly, next Sept. 14, and he ratified his personal commitment with the Five's cause "until justice is made."  
 
D'Escoto said that US President Barack Obama can correct this injustice immediately and urged him to accomplish the proposal of change that impelled him to the White House. "Regarding this case, that change is not visible", remarked.  
 

The tremendous suffering to the Fives and their families during eleven years of  imprisonment was also mentioned, particularly the reiterated visa denials to the wives of Gerardo and Rene for visiting the States. This case is deteriorating the image of USA, he said,  and they must put in freedom immediately.

THREE FOR RESENTENCING

Three of the Five, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero and Fernando González are now being held in Miami’s Federal Detention Center to attend a resentencing hearing scheduled for October 13.

Before the same judge,  Joan Lenard, who condemned the Five Cuban antiterrorists in 2001, a jury will consider the instructions coming from an appeals court — the 11th Circuit in Atlanta — which said the “sentences were incorrectly imposed” and thus annulled them.

Since their arrival in the Miami Detention Center,  Fernando, Ramón and Tony have been kept in solitary housing unit (SHU) in the same confinement  unit where they were held for the first 17 months following their arrest in September 1998.

The legal team defending the Five continue battle in courts, hoping that life sentences will be eliminated and the new ones will be “reasonable.”

No resentencing was ordered for Gerardo Hernández and René. The first one was sentenced  of “conspiracy to commit murder” under unproven charge and the treatment given to him have been very worse. 

The Cuban Fives have remained in prison longer than other person sentenced for actual espionage, and the resentencing should lead to their immediate release, because they have already been unjustly imprisoned for more than 10 years.