South African Lawyers Claim Release of Cuban Five Case

Havana, Cuba, Feb 28.- The National Association of Democratic Lawyers of South Africa claimed the immediate return of the five Cuban anti-terrorist fighters imprisoned in the U.S. to their homeland.

In a meeting in Mthata, of Eastern Cape, the South African legal experts urged Washington to do justice to the case of Rene Gonzalez, Ramon Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez and Gerardo Hernandez, says a Prena Latina report dated in Johannesburgo.

Known as the Cuban Five, they were arrested in September of 1998 in Miami and sentenced in 2001 to excessive terms that range from 15 years to two-life sentences for penetrating extreme anti-Cuba groups based in Florida with the purpose of stopping violent actions conducted by such organizations against the Cuban people in their obsession of overthrowing the Cuban Revolution.

Four of the anti-terrorist fighters remain in prison while the fifth one, Rene Gonzalez, completed his term in October, 2011; however, he received an additional punishment consisting on three years on probation during which he has to stay in the U.S.

The South African forum was attended by Zwelinzima Vavi, general secretary of the Confederation of South African Unions; Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, and Cuban ambassador to South Africa, Angel Villa, who spoke about the perspectives of socialism to face the current economic and financial crisis of capitalism. (acn).

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