British reverend Geoffrey Bottoms said on Monday that international solidarity with the five Cuban anti-terrorist fighters who remain unjustly imprisoned in the United States continues to grow...
Geoffrey Bottoms with Gerardo Hernández
Free the Cuban Five!
International Campaign for Release of the Cuban Five Intensifies
Nov. 27, 2007
Reprinted from ACN
Havana, Nov 27 (acn) British reverend Geoffrey Bottoms said on Monday that international solidarity with the five Cuban anti-terrorist fighters who remain unjustly imprisoned in the United States continues to grow.
During a meeting at the venue of the Havana-based Cuban Friendship Institute (ICAP) with relatives of Gerardo Hernandez, Fernando Gonzalez, Ramon Labañino, Rene Gonzalez and Antonio Guerrero - internationally known as the Cuban Five - Bottoms demanded the release of the five men and explained aspects of the campaign in favor of the Five in Great Britain where they are trying to make people aware of the unjust legal process carried out against these men in the United States.
In this respect, he announced that Leonard Weinglass, Antonio Guerrero's attorney, will soon travel to British territory where he will meet with Parliament members, trade union leaders and non governmental organizations to denounce the violations committed in this case.
Bottoms also noted that the reiterated decision by the US government of denying visas to Olga Salanueva and Adriana Perez - wives of Rene and Gerardo, respectively - to visit their husbands in prison is an additional punishment for them and their families.
During the meeting at the ICAP venue in the Cuban capital on Monday, Magaly Llort and Mirtha Rodriguez - mothers of Fernando and Antonio, respectively - thanked Rev. Bottoms for his support of the cause of the Cuban Five and called him an honorable representative of peace.
The Cuban Five have been in prison for almost a decade in the United States where they infiltrated anti-Cuba terrorist groups that were planning and carrying out attacks against the island from Southern Florida.
Hear from the heart of Cuba's struggle
Nov. 26, 2007
Reprinted from Morning Star Online
STEPHEN HALLMARK previews this week's meeting with Leonard Weinglass, attorney of the Miami 5.
THERE are two reasons why an opportunity to hear a speech by civil-rights activist and acclaimed lawyer Leonard Weinglass, who is the attorney for the Miami Five anti-terror fighters, should not be missed.
First, this legal case defines the US twisted logic regarding Cuba and is symbolic of the brutality that it imposes on the Caribbean island.
And second, Weinglass has been at the centre of the civil-rights movement for decades and has defended a string of high-profile activists, including Jane Fonda, Angela Davis and the Chicago Seven. He is, therefore, someone with much to say.
So the chance to hear about the case of the Miami Five from the man at the centre of the ongoing court proceedings is a unique opportunity to get under the skin of US foreign policy and learn about the country's strange relationship with Cuba.
Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labanino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez and Rene Gonzalez are "guilty" of defending their country against terrorist attacks originating in Miami.
Weinglass says: "The arrest and prosecution of these men for their courageous attempt to stop the terror was not only unjust, it exposes the hypocrisy of America's claim to oppose terrorism wherever it surfaces.
"The mission of the Five was not to obtain US military secrets, as was charged, but rather to monitor the terrorist activities of those mercenaries and report their planned threats back to Cuba."
The men gathered evidence on terrorist cells responsible for atrocities such as the bombing of a Cuban hotel, which resulted in the death of an Italian tourist, and reported those findings to their government. The details were then passed on to the FBI.
But for the US authorities to admit that the Miami Five were indeed fighting terrorist cells would alienate the bitter and vociferous Cuban-exile lobby in Florida, which is a swing state, and be tantamount to an admission that half a century of US foreign policy toward Cuba is that of an imperialistic power sulking over its lost dominion.
The case also shows the brutal face of US policy. The men were jailed on trumped-up charges, separated by thousands of miles in jails across the country and each had to withstand an astonishing 17 months of solitary confinement.
Amnesty International has also condemned the US for refusing visiting rights to Adriana Perez, Gerardo's wife, and Rene's wife Olga Salanueva, on the incredible grounds that they constitute a threat to national security.
Not only that but the case against the men is riddled with holes.
The United Nations has said that the trial was "arbitrary" and politicised because it was held in Miami and Weinglass cites it as one of the biggest miscarriages of justice of recent times.
"By infiltrating the terror network that is allowed to exist in Florida, they demonstrated the hypocrisy of America's claimed opposition to terrorism," he says.
Stephen Hallmark is campaigns manager for the Cuba Solidarity Campaign. Leonard Weinglass will be speaking at London on Thursday November 29 from 7pm at the House of Commons, committee room 10 with Father Geoff Bottoms and Ian Gibson MP. Other dates include Saturday December 1 at the Latin America Conference 2007, Congress House, Great Russell Street, London, Monday December 3 from 7.30pm at the Derby Council Chambers, Council House, Corporation St, Derby and Tuesday December 4 from 7.30pm at the Manchester Town Hall, committee room 2, Manchester.
For more details, call the Cuba Solidarity Campaign on (020) 7263-6452.
http://www.freethefive.org/updates/Solidarity/SLUK112707.htm
"The Cuban Five will return to their people": said British Priest Geoffrey Bottoms
RHC-ANC- http://www.antiterroristas.cu
2007-11-27
Havana, November 26 (RHC-ACN)-- The movement in solidarity with Cuba is growing among trade unions and other institutions in England and there are currently around 4,000 people carrying out actions of friendship and support of the island in this British territory.
These were the words of Reverend Geoffrey Bottoms, member of the Campaign in Solidarity with Cuba in the United Kingdom, in a meeting with Magali Llort and Mirta Rodriguez, mothers of Fernando Gonzalez and Antonio Guerrero, respectively. He said that he continues very active in his struggle for the release of the five Cuban anti-terrorist fighters who remain unjustly imprisoned in the United States.
According to Bottoms, it is necessary to let the world know the truth about the case of Rene Gonzalez, Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labañino, Fernando Gonzalez and Antonio Guerrero - internationally known as the Cuban Five - as they are also victims of the silence of the mainstream media.
Rev. Bottoms, who said he is planning and hoping to visit Gerardo Hernandez and Ramon Labañino in prison next year, attended the latest oral hearing of the case before the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta and then returned to London to participate in a protest demanding the release of the Cuban Five in front of the US embassy in the British capital.
He added that tomorrow the Campaign will receive in London lawyer Leonard Weinglass, who will meet members of the British Parliament, trade union leaders, lawyers and international organizations as Amnesty International, in order to explain details about the case of the five Cuban political prisoners. He also will visit several cities in England and Ireland to let people know the truth about the case.
"He is a very respected civil rights lawyer, who understands very well the political nature of this case and can explain in political and legal terms", said Father Bottoms, and adds "I'm convinced, that the Five will return to their people and their families. I always have that conviction. And these are not only words, because I believe that they have justice and truth on their side."
A few years ago, Rev. Geoffrey Bottoms received the Friendship Medal granted by the Cuban Council of State for his constant work in solidarity with the Cuban people.
See also:
http://www.freethefive.org
http://www.antiterroristas.cu
http://www.liberenlos5.cult.cu (to sign the Free the Cuban Five Campaign)
http://www.cubavsbloqueo.cu/informe2007/index.html
http://www.cubavsbloqueo.cu/
http://www.cubanews.ain.cu/2007/eleccionescuba.htm
http://www.cubainformacion.tv/
http://www.cubanradio.cu
http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/secciones/reflexiones/esp-007.html (Fidel’s reflections in various languages)
Videos:
"Mission against Terror":
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CCdGdpeNps8
http://es.arcoiris.tv/modules.php?name=Unique&id=824
"Bacardí, the bat’s secret":
http://video.google.es/videoplay?docid=5416850335187952791
http://es.arcoiris.tv/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=v...ter=E
Nov. 27, 2007
Reprinted from ACN
Havana, Nov 27 (acn) British reverend Geoffrey Bottoms said on Monday that international solidarity with the five Cuban anti-terrorist fighters who remain unjustly imprisoned in the United States continues to grow.
During a meeting at the venue of the Havana-based Cuban Friendship Institute (ICAP) with relatives of Gerardo Hernandez, Fernando Gonzalez, Ramon Labañino, Rene Gonzalez and Antonio Guerrero - internationally known as the Cuban Five - Bottoms demanded the release of the five men and explained aspects of the campaign in favor of the Five in Great Britain where they are trying to make people aware of the unjust legal process carried out against these men in the United States.
In this respect, he announced that Leonard Weinglass, Antonio Guerrero's attorney, will soon travel to British territory where he will meet with Parliament members, trade union leaders and non governmental organizations to denounce the violations committed in this case.
Bottoms also noted that the reiterated decision by the US government of denying visas to Olga Salanueva and Adriana Perez - wives of Rene and Gerardo, respectively - to visit their husbands in prison is an additional punishment for them and their families.
During the meeting at the ICAP venue in the Cuban capital on Monday, Magaly Llort and Mirtha Rodriguez - mothers of Fernando and Antonio, respectively - thanked Rev. Bottoms for his support of the cause of the Cuban Five and called him an honorable representative of peace.
The Cuban Five have been in prison for almost a decade in the United States where they infiltrated anti-Cuba terrorist groups that were planning and carrying out attacks against the island from Southern Florida.
Hear from the heart of Cuba's struggle
Nov. 26, 2007
Reprinted from Morning Star Online
STEPHEN HALLMARK previews this week's meeting with Leonard Weinglass, attorney of the Miami 5.
THERE are two reasons why an opportunity to hear a speech by civil-rights activist and acclaimed lawyer Leonard Weinglass, who is the attorney for the Miami Five anti-terror fighters, should not be missed.
First, this legal case defines the US twisted logic regarding Cuba and is symbolic of the brutality that it imposes on the Caribbean island.
And second, Weinglass has been at the centre of the civil-rights movement for decades and has defended a string of high-profile activists, including Jane Fonda, Angela Davis and the Chicago Seven. He is, therefore, someone with much to say.
So the chance to hear about the case of the Miami Five from the man at the centre of the ongoing court proceedings is a unique opportunity to get under the skin of US foreign policy and learn about the country's strange relationship with Cuba.
Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labanino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez and Rene Gonzalez are "guilty" of defending their country against terrorist attacks originating in Miami.
Weinglass says: "The arrest and prosecution of these men for their courageous attempt to stop the terror was not only unjust, it exposes the hypocrisy of America's claim to oppose terrorism wherever it surfaces.
"The mission of the Five was not to obtain US military secrets, as was charged, but rather to monitor the terrorist activities of those mercenaries and report their planned threats back to Cuba."
The men gathered evidence on terrorist cells responsible for atrocities such as the bombing of a Cuban hotel, which resulted in the death of an Italian tourist, and reported those findings to their government. The details were then passed on to the FBI.
But for the US authorities to admit that the Miami Five were indeed fighting terrorist cells would alienate the bitter and vociferous Cuban-exile lobby in Florida, which is a swing state, and be tantamount to an admission that half a century of US foreign policy toward Cuba is that of an imperialistic power sulking over its lost dominion.
The case also shows the brutal face of US policy. The men were jailed on trumped-up charges, separated by thousands of miles in jails across the country and each had to withstand an astonishing 17 months of solitary confinement.
Amnesty International has also condemned the US for refusing visiting rights to Adriana Perez, Gerardo's wife, and Rene's wife Olga Salanueva, on the incredible grounds that they constitute a threat to national security.
Not only that but the case against the men is riddled with holes.
The United Nations has said that the trial was "arbitrary" and politicised because it was held in Miami and Weinglass cites it as one of the biggest miscarriages of justice of recent times.
"By infiltrating the terror network that is allowed to exist in Florida, they demonstrated the hypocrisy of America's claimed opposition to terrorism," he says.
Stephen Hallmark is campaigns manager for the Cuba Solidarity Campaign. Leonard Weinglass will be speaking at London on Thursday November 29 from 7pm at the House of Commons, committee room 10 with Father Geoff Bottoms and Ian Gibson MP. Other dates include Saturday December 1 at the Latin America Conference 2007, Congress House, Great Russell Street, London, Monday December 3 from 7.30pm at the Derby Council Chambers, Council House, Corporation St, Derby and Tuesday December 4 from 7.30pm at the Manchester Town Hall, committee room 2, Manchester.
For more details, call the Cuba Solidarity Campaign on (020) 7263-6452.
http://www.freethefive.org/updates/Solidarity/SLUK112707.htm "The Cuban Five will return to their people": said British Priest Geoffrey Bottoms
RHC-ANC-
http://www.antiterroristas.cu 2007-11-27
Havana, November 26 (RHC-ACN)-- The movement in solidarity with Cuba is growing among trade unions and other institutions in England and there are currently around 4,000 people carrying out actions of friendship and support of the island in this British territory.
These were the words of Reverend Geoffrey Bottoms, member of the Campaign in Solidarity with Cuba in the United Kingdom, in a meeting with Magali Llort and Mirta Rodriguez, mothers of Fernando Gonzalez and Antonio Guerrero, respectively. He said that he continues very active in his struggle for the release of the five Cuban anti-terrorist fighters who remain unjustly imprisoned in the United States.
According to Bottoms, it is necessary to let the world know the truth about the case of Rene Gonzalez, Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labañino, Fernando Gonzalez and Antonio Guerrero - internationally known as the Cuban Five - as they are also victims of the silence of the mainstream media.
Rev. Bottoms, who said he is planning and hoping to visit Gerardo Hernandez and Ramon Labañino in prison next year, attended the latest oral hearing of the case before the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta and then returned to London to participate in a protest demanding the release of the Cuban Five in front of the US embassy in the British capital.
He added that tomorrow the Campaign will receive in London lawyer Leonard Weinglass, who will meet members of the British Parliament, trade union leaders, lawyers and international organizations as Amnesty International, in order to explain details about the case of the five Cuban political prisoners. He also will visit several cities in England and Ireland to let people know the truth about the case.
"He is a very respected civil rights lawyer, who understands very well the political nature of this case and can explain in political and legal terms", said Father Bottoms, and adds "I'm convinced, that the Five will return to their people and their families. I always have that conviction. And these are not only words, because I believe that they have justice and truth on their side."
A few years ago, Rev. Geoffrey Bottoms received the Friendship Medal granted by the Cuban Council of State for his constant work in solidarity with the Cuban people.
See also:
http://www.freethefive.org http://www.antiterroristas.cu http://www.liberenlos5.cult.cu (to sign the Free the Cuban Five Campaign) http://www.cubavsbloqueo.cu/informe2007/index.html http://www.cubavsbloqueo.cu/ http://www.cubanews.ain.cu/2007/eleccionescuba.htm http://www.cubainformacion.tv/ http://www.cubanradio.cu http://www.granma.cubaweb.cu/secciones/reflexiones/esp-007.html (Fidel’s reflections in various languages) Videos:
"Mission against Terror":
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CCdGdpeNps8 http://es.arcoiris.tv/modules.php?name=Unique&id=824 "Bacardí, the bat’s secret":
http://video.google.es/videoplay?docid=5416850335187952791 http://es.arcoiris.tv/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=v...ter=E
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First release the 62 prisoners of conscience still held in Cuba
28.11.2007 06:23
Francisco Chaviano González
© AI
Cuba's longest serving prisoner of conscience has been conditionally released following more than 13 years of incarceration.
Francisco Chaviano González, president of an unofficial human rights group, was arrested by Cuban State Security police at his Havana home on 7 May 1994 on charges of "revealing state security secrets" and falsifying public documents.
It was reported that moments before his arrest, a person believed to be unknown to him handed him a compromising document which was found by State Security and used as a pretext for detaining him on the grounds that he was "highly dangerous".
In April 1995 he was sentenced by a military tribunal to 15 years in prison, the maximum sentence for these charges under Cuban law. Amnesty International believed his trial did not conform to international fair trial standards and declared him a prisoner of conscience.
Having served 13 years and three months of his sentence, he was conditionally released on 10 August.
A former mathematics teacher and married with three children, Francisco Chaviano González is president of the National Council for Civil Rights in Cuba (Consejo Nacional por los Derechos Civiles en Cuba - CNDCC), whose work includes documenting the cases of Cubans who have been lost at sea trying to leave the country.
He was reportedly beaten on several occasions at the time of arrest and again on 17 June 1999, when prison guards broke his tibia and caused injuries to his face, according to reports received by Amnesty International. On several different occasions he undertook hunger strikes to draw attention to his conditions of detention.
Francisco Chaviano González is the fourth prisoner of conscience to be released this year. However, dissident groups on the island do not believe that these releases represent an improvement in the human rights situation as those freed had served their full sentence or were eligible for early release. There are still 62 other prisoners of conscience imprisoned in Cuba and many others whose incarceration is politically motivated.
Amnesty International
Cuban 5 Lawyer Promotes UK Solidarity
28.11.2007 14:54
Free the Cuban Five!
London, Nov 27 (Prensa Latina) Leonard Weinglass, principal defense attorney for the Cuban Five the five Cubans held captive in US prisons - will discuss their case before the British Parliament as part of his stay in the United Kingdom.
Weinglass will make a series of speeches and give interviews in London, Derby and Manchester, informed the British campaign of solidarity with Cuba, which organizes this tour.
British Rob Miller, who leads the campaign, stated he was very pleased with the visit because it will offer a new vision of the case.
"His visit and the support of the British people will be fundamental to achieve greater public interest and increase the pressure of the British people in favor of the Cuban Five," he said.
This year the campaign organized a vigil in front of the US Embassy to London, and achieved the signing of a declaration by many European Parliament deputies demanding the US government grant the wives and relatives of the Cuban Five the right to visit them.
Similarly, the signing by 110 deputies in the British Lower Chamber was decisive for a motion to support the liberation of the Cuban Five.
The campaign also obtained 10,000 signatures supporting a letter addressed to the US Attorney General, among which were the signatures of Nobel literature prizewinner Harold Pinter and London Mayor Ken Livingstone.
See also In Great Britain and Ireland:
F Espinoza