The mother of one of the Cuban Five, still incarcerated in US prisons for fighting terrorism, denounced Wednesday the unjust delay in the case and demanded their immediate freedom.
Mirta Rodriguez, mother of Antonio Guerrero, noted that despite the Atlanta Court of Appeals decision last August that annulled the sentences against the Cuban Five, they still remain behind bars after more than seven long years.
During a meeting with 30 members of the Southern Cross Brigade -a solidarity group mainly from Australia and New Zealand and in Cuba to do voluntary farm work and receive conferences on the Cuban reality- Rodriguez called on the US authorities to respect the legal system and the Constitution during the oral hearings scheduled for February 13.
On August 9, a three judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals of Atlanta unanimously ruled to overturn the biased trial held in Miami and the unjust sentences imposed on Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labanino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez and Rene Gonzalez, as well as ordering a new trial.
However, the prosecution requested the full court of appeals reconsider their decision.
The mother of Antonio Guerrero added that the legal process has been politicised, but said, "we have faith in the US legal system." She thanked the members of the Southern Cross Brigade for their participation in the international campaign to free the Cuban Five.
Rodriguez confirmed the good spirits of her son Tony whom she visited in December. She added that he is confident that the arguments presented by the defense will prevail in the oral process.
My son, said Mirta, is currently painting Cuban birds, thanks to a friend that sent him a book on the theme. She said that Tony has never lacked optimism because he was doing something good for Cuba by seeking information on possible criminal actions against his country.
After their convictions, the Cuban Five were spread around the United States in five different maximum security prisons. They were first detained by the FBI in 1998 for having infiltrated terrorist organizations based in southern Florida and supported by the White House.
The Southern Cross Brigade has maintained a systematic and growing solidarity with the island for decades.
