[Ppnews] Response to the ruling on the Cuban 5

[Political Prisoner News]

Gerardo is not surprised by the ruling. "This is the same system
that has unjustly incarcerated Mumia for more than 20 years along with
Leonard Peltier and the Puerto Rican political prisoners," he said
today. "We will endure as many years as necessary, 30, 40, whatever
it takes. As long as one of you is resisting, we will also resist until
there is justice."


TheNNOC-owner at yahoogroups.com

RESPONSE TO THE ATLANTA APPEALS COURT RULING BY THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMITTEE FOR THE FREEDOM OF THE CUBAN FIVE

On Wednesday June 4th, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals announced
its ruling in the appeal case for the Cuban Five.

In the 99-page opinion, the three-judge panel unanimously upheld the
convictions against the Five Cuban Patriots. The court also upheld the
sentences given to René González (15 years) and Gerardo
Hernández (two life sentences plus 15 years).

The court's ruling on Gerardo's sentence, however, was not
unanimous: 2 to 1. On page 16 of the written opinion, Judge Phyllis
Kravitch states that the government did not present sufficient evidence
to convict Gerardo of conspiracy to commit murder.

The sentences of Ramón Labañino (life plus 18 years); Fernando
González (19 years) and Antonio Guerrero (life plus 10 years) were
returned to Judge Joan Lenard's Florida court for re-sentencing.
Lenard will need to call for a hearing to issue the new ruling —
this is the same judge who imposed the excessive and unjust sentences in
2001.

The Atlanta Appeals Court's written opinion, which employs startling
political rhetoric, states that the defense's arguments lacked merit
and clearly favors the government.

The court's ruling exposes various contradictions between the
opinions of two of the justices and the author of the opinion, Judge
William H. Pryor, an ultraconservative appointed to the bench with the
help of Republican John McCain despite opposition from the Senate.

The defense attorneys, Weinglass, MacKenna and Horowitz, ensured they
will continue the legal battle that began in December 2001 when they
were unjustly sentences. There are still some legal avenues open.

Given the United States' governments' legal ploys to expand the
sentences of our Five Brothers, we are not surprised by the judicial
ruling. On the contrary, it reaffirms our need to continue fighting
tirelessly to denounce this colossal injustice.

Exposed once again is the contempt of the United States government,
which yesterday, in another U.S. city, defended the criminal Luis Posada
Carriles. A  man who, rather than fittingly declaring him a terrorist
for his crimes against humanity and extraditing him to Venezuela where
the government has declared Carriles a fugitive and repeatedly demanded
his extradition, the U.S. government has granted him full liberty.

Gerardo is not surprised by the ruling. "This is the same system
that has unjustly incarcerated Mumia for more than 20 years along with
Leonard Peltier and the Puerto Rican political prisoners," he said
today. "We will endure as many years as necessary, 30, 40, whatever
it takes. As long as one of you is resisting, we will also resist until
there is justice."

Gerardo has asked that we communicate his confidence to all of you,
"For anyone who asks, tell them I am fine, strong and always looking
forward."

Along with all of our friends around the world we call for mobilizations
beginning on the morning of June 6, in front of all headquarters of the
terrorist U.S. government —in Europe, Latin America and the U.S.
— which holds our Five Brothers imprisoned.

Only solidarity, constant condemnation and international mobilization
will secure freedom for the Five.

International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban Five
June 5, 2008



Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  
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