[NYTr] As Hearing Nears, Support Grows for Cuban 5; US Tries to Hide Truth Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 20:06:59 -0500 (CDT) Via NY Transfer News Collective * 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 LabaB$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, RamC3n LabaC1ino 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. * ================================================================= .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org . List Archives: https://blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ . Subscribe: https://blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr =================================================================