Alarcon on US Refusal to Allow Prisoner's Family to Visit Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit source - "Karen Lee Wald" [I wonder where all the so-called "human rights groups" that clamor for release and "better treatment" of Cuban anti-government prisoners are? Shouldn't they be demanding that Rene Guerrero's family get at least the same rights as any common criminal in Cuba has -- conjugal visits? -- KW] Presidencia Asamblea Nacional Republica de Cuba Havana, May 7, 2002 Dear Friend, The State Department has denied entry visa to Olga Salanueva wife of Rene Gonzalez one of the five Cubans incarcerated in the US after a sham trial. Rene was indicted for being a non registered "agent" on behalf of Cuba. The case of the five was manipulated and highly politicized presenting three of them as "spies" and one of them as part of a "conspiracy to commit murder." But Rene was only and exclusively acused and found "guilty" of penetrating some of very well known Miami-based terrorist groups and tryng to collect information about their criminal plans. For that, and just for that, he is serving a 15 years term. On sentencing him, the Court stated: "Whether terrorism is committed against innocents in the United States or Cuba, Israel or Jordan, Northern Ireland or India, it is evil and it is wrong; but the terrorist acts by others cannot excuse the wrongful and illegal conduct of this defendant or any other" (Transcript of sentencing hearing, December 14, 2001, pages 42-43). The sentence imposed upon him includes a very peculiar provision. After serving the 15 years term Rene would be on "supervised release" with a number of strict conditions. One of them was stated by the Court in this manner: "As a further special condition of supervised release the defendant is prohibited from associating with or visiting specific places where individuals or groups such as terrorists, members of organizations advocating violence, and organized crime figures are known to be or frequent" (Transcript of sentencing hearing, December 14, 2001, pages 45-46). Reading those oficial transcripts one may wonder what means the "war on terrorism" the US is supposed to be engaged with since September 11? Rene Gonzalez was born in Chicago 1956. He is a US citizen by birth as it is Ivette his 4 years old daughter that has been prevented from meeting her father from almost her entire life. Olga, Rene and their two daughters are not criminals. They are victims of terrorist that operates openly in Miami. We believe the American people will feel outrage if they knew about what is happening right now in their own country. We hope you could help. Sincerely The office of Ricardo Alarcon President of the National Assembly Republic of Cuba ================================================================= 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 e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytact-05.08.02-01:36:31-25774