[Fresh Ink] Nobel Laureate Nadine Gordimer on The Cuban Five

[Richard Menec]

www.antiterroristas.cu

Declaration on the Cuban Five of the South African Nobel Laureate Nadine 
Gordimer

2/17/2010

Declaration

Yesterday, Tuesday February 16, I met with relatives of the five Cuban 
political prisoners held in US jails for over 11 years.  I have had 
firsthand experience of the drama these families are suffering. I was given 
the following information as confirmation of what I already had obtained.

On June 16th  and 17th, 1998, the Cuban government invited two important FBI 
officials to hand them documents with evidences on dangerous activities done 
by several persons residing in Florida and seriously implicated in terrorist 
actions against Cuba.  Up until now, none of them have been questioned by US 
authorities despite the evidence placed in the hands of the FBI.

Three months later, on September 12th, 1998, the FBI arrested five Cubans: 
Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González, Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino and 
René González.  Crime committed?  That of infiltrating, at the risk of their 
own lives, the Cuban exile groups responsible for numerous violent actions 
which have put an end to the lives of many innocent people.  Since 1959, 
terrorist actions against the Cuban people have resulted in 3,478 dead and 
have left 2,099 people permanently disabled.

After a legal process, presenting several legal violations, the five Cubans 
were sentenced, collectively, to four life sentences plus 77 years, for 
fighting terrorism. For over 11 years now, they have been imprisoned in 5 
different maximum security prisons.

These five Cubans have been the victims of cruel and inhumane treatment. 
>From day one of their arrests until February 3rd, 2000, i.e. for over 17 
months, they have been in solitary confinement, with no contact with other 
prisoners or even guards.

On May 27th, 2005, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention denounced the 
"arbitrary" detention of the Cuban five, stating that it was a violation of 
international norms and demanded a new trial.

On August 9th 2005, three judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 
Eleventh Circuit, with 80 years of accumulated experience, unanimously 
decided to declare the original verdict null and requested a new trial.

On September 28th, 2005, the US government asked the full Court of Appeals, 
made up by twelve judges, to reconsider the decision of August 8th, 2005, a 
very uncommon action, according to US legal experts.

On August 9th, 2006, after strong political pressures, the Atlanta Court of 
Appeals reversed the decision by the three judges and sent the case once 
again to a panel.

On August 20th, 2007, the defense launched a new appeal process.  In 2008, a 
panel formed by three judges from the Atlanta Court of Appeals ratified the 
guilty verdict for the five Cubans, confirming the sentences imposed against 
Gerardo and Rene and annulled  the sentences for Ramon, Antonio and Fernando 
because they were considered incorrect, thus sending the cases of these 
three Cubans to the Miami District Court for re-sentencing.

On that occasion the Appeals Court in full acknowledged there was no 
evidence whatsoever on the obtainment or transmission of secret information 
or of a national defense nature.

In 2009, the US Supreme Court, based on a request by the Obama 
Administration, rejected the possibility of revising the case.

The statements made by the relatives of the five Cubans give proof of the 
psychological and moral torture they have been suffering in the hands of US 
legal authorities.  Olga Salanueva, wife of René González, as well as 
Adriana Pérez, wife of Gerardo Hernández, have not been yet authorized to 
visit their love ones.  On June 25th, 2002, Adriana Pérez was finally 
granted a US visa to visit her husband in Los Angeles. But upon her arrival 
in the United States, she was detained by the FBI, interrogated for 11 hours 
and then expelled to Cuba without seeing Gerardo. Adriana has not been able 
to see Gerardo for over 11 years and Olga has not seen Rene for over 10 
years. Such a cruel act is unacceptable.

Now, after meeting the relatives of the five Cubans I have been able to 
assess the dignity and staunchness of the mothers and wives who have 
suffered, with striking strength of character this inhumane abuse for over a 
decade now.

I would like to add my voice to the petition for justice for these five 
innocent Cubans.  I request President Obama for their immediate release.  I 
appeal to citizens from all over the world: it is time to put an end to the 
torment these five Cubans and their relatives are suffering.

Nadine Gordimer
Havana, February 17th, 2010.

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