South African Deputy Expressed his Support of Cuban Five

Havana, Cuba, Aug 5.- The president of the Defense and Military Veterans Committee of the South African Parliament, Malusi Stanley Motimele, expressed his support of the five Cuban antiterrorist fighters imprisoned in the U.S. and criticized Washington’s silencing of the case.

Motimele announced the committee’s intention of mobilizing others sectors of the South African society in favor of the freedom of the Cuban Five, a statement posted at the Cuban foreign ministry’s website www.cubaminrex.cu reads.

According to Motimele, no one should be condemned for fighting terrorism and even less the five Cubans who were just trying to protect their country from such acts supported by the U.S. to try to bring down the Cuban Revolution.

Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labañino, Fernando Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero and Rene Gonzalez were arrested in September 1998, in Miami, for monitoring anti-Cuba groups based in Florida.

They were condemned in 2001 to 15 years to two life plus 15 years sentences.

The South African deputy expressed his opinion in a meeting with Ivette Fernandez, acting business attaché of the Cuban embassy to his country, in which other members of the parliamentary committee also participated, as well as the Cuban diplomatic mission’s political advisor David Diaz.

On related news, the Commission for Foreign Affairs and Defense of the Belgium Senate reportedly adopted a resolution urging U.S. President Barack Obama to release the Cuban Five.

Likewise, the Parliament of Mali passed a resolution protesting the imprisonment of the Cuban Five, labeling it as arbitrary and illegal. (ACN).

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