US Delays Miami Five Appeal Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Granma Internacional Digital - June 5, 2002 U.S. authorities delay Miami Five appeal SIX months after the controversial trial in the United States, which ended in tough sentences for five Cubans, their appeal still has not been sent to the Atlanta Court of Appeals. Ricardo Alarcon, president of the National Assembly of People's Power, charged that the delay in processing the case is due to the existence of hundreds of documents classified by the U.S. government, whose declassification has been requested by the defense lawyers. In a statement to Juventud Rebelde, Alarcon also accused the U.S. establishment press of refusing to cover the case of Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labanino, Rene Gonzalez and Antonio Guerrero and Fernando Gonzalez. "Work by Cuban solidarity groups is increasing, along with information on the Five's case in the alternative media, but not in the establishment press, Alarcon pointed out. The group of Cubans were arrested in September 1998 by the FBI in Miami. Charges against them included endangering U.S. national security and spying. After a rigged trial in December 2001, Gerardo, Ramon and Antonio received life sentences, while Rene and Fernando were given 15 and 19 years in prison, respectively. The Cuban government and the main defense lawyers feel that the trial should never have been held in Miami, where the reactionary Cuban-American mafia has a huge influence on the rest of the community. The charges against the Five were never proven, for the group was only looking for information on the terrorist plans against Cuba by organizations in U.S. territory, on occasion with the South Florida authorities' consent. The defense plea filed with the Atlanta Court of Appeals questions the trial's fairness. (c) 2002 Granma International Digital. All rights reserved. ================================================================= 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 ================================================================= nytcov-06.06.02-14:03:43-15071