Take Action: New Punishment Against Rene Gonzalez
by International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban 5
On
Oct 7, René González, one of the Cuban 5 Patriots will be released from
the US prison in Marianna Florida after serving out his 15 year
sentence. Rene's crime was defending the security of the Cuban people
against terrorist attacks.
The
US government is now trying to stop his immediate return to his
homeland, and his family, after he serves out the last day of this
unjust sentence.
And now, in the most cynical and mean spirited fashion,
the US court that sentenced him in 2001 is extending his punishment by
making him remain in the United States.
Because Rene was born
in the US he will now have to spend an additional 3 years of probation
here. Seven months ago his lawyer presented a motion asking the court to
modify the conditions of his probation so that after he finished his
sentence he be allowed to return to Cuba to reunite with his wife and
his family for humanitarian reasons.
On March 25, the
prosecutor Caroline Heck Miller asked the judge to deny the motion. On
September 16 Judge Joan Lenard rejected the defense motion, alleging
among other reasons, that the Court needs time to evaluate the behavior
of the condemned person after he is freed to verify that he is not a
danger to the United States.
We have to remember
that this is the same prosecutor that rejected an attempt to try Posada
Carriles as a criminal, and this is the same judge that included in the
conditions of his release a special point that while Rene is under
supervised release that;
" the accused is prohibited from associating
with or visiting specific places where individuals or groups such as
terrorists are known to be or frequent"
By writing this Judge
Lenard made the shameful recognition that terrorists groups do exist
and enjoy impunity in Miami. Furthermore she is offering them
protection from Rene from bothering or denouncing them upon his
release.
It was not enough for
the US government to make Rene fulfill the complete sentence to the
last day; It was not enough to try and blackmail his family by telling
them he would not go to trial if he collaborated against his 4 brothers;
it was not enough to pressure Rene with what could happen to his family
if he did not cooperate with the government, including the detention
and deportation of his wife Olga Salanueva; and it was not enough to
deny Olga visas to visit her husband repeatedly all these years.
Why does the US government want to continue punishing René and his family?
The prejudice of the
Miami community against the Five was denounced by three judges of the
Eleventh Circuit of the Atlanta Court of Appeals on August 27, 2005,
where it was recognized who the terrorists were, what organizations they
belonged to and where they reside. To mandate that Rene Gonzalez stay
another 3 years of supervised "freedom" in Florida, where a nest of
international terrorists reside and who publicly make their hatred of
Cuba and the Cuban 5 known, is to put the life of Rene in serious
risk.
Today we are making a
call to friends from all over the world to denounce this new punishment
and to demand the US government allow René Gonzalez to return to Cuba
to reunite with his wife and his family as soon as he get out of prison.
Contact
now President Barack Obama and US Attorney General Eric Holder demanding
the immediate return of René Gonzalez to his homeland and his family
International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban 5
To learn more about the Cuban 5 visit:
www.thecuban5.org
TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE WHITE HOUSE
Write a letter to President Obama
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20500
EE.UU.
Make a phone call and leave a message for President Barack Obama: 202-456-1111
Send an e-mail message to President Barack Obama
HTTP://WWW.WHITEHOUSE.GOV/CONTACT
TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Write a letter to US Attorney General Eric Holder
US Attorney General Eric Holder
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
Make a phone call and leave a message for US Attorney General Eric Holder: 202-514-2000
Or call the public commentary line: 202-353-1555
Send an e-mail message to US Attorney General Eric Holder: AskDOJ@usdoj.gov
International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban 5
