Cuba’s representative in Geneva Rodolfo Reyes called on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay to pronounce herself in favor of the release of the Cuban Five, anti-terrorist activists unjustly incarcerated in the United States.

In his letter to the UN official, Reyes included the final declaration of the 7th International Colloquium for the Freedom of the Five and Against Terrorism held in Holguin from November 16 to 19.

Millions of people around the world have come together to tear down the wall of silence that has been erected by the United States around the case of these political prisoners, arrested in Miami in 1998, and to demand their immediate release, the Cuban diplomat wrote, Prensa Latina news agency reported.

The over 400 delegates who participated at the gathering in Holguin condemned the imprisonment of Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero and Fernando González, and denounced the parole process imposed on René González, who was released from prison on October 7 this year.

The Cuban Five were detained and convicted at a rigged trial in Miami in 2001. The Five received terms ranging from 15 years in prison to two life sentences plus 15 years, simply for alerting their people of terrorist actions conducted by Florida-based groups.

In his letter, Reyes asked the High Commissioner for Human Rights to issue a public statement or to take pertinent steps to demand that René be returned to his country, so he may reunite with his relatives, and to request the remaining anti-terrorist activists be released from prison.

The Cuban diplomat sent similar missives to the Chair of the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur on Independence of Judges and Lawyers and the Work Group on Arbitrary Detention.

Trnaslate by: Daysi Olano

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