[Ppnews] US Government Asks for Extension in Cuban Five Case

Thu Aug 25 15:36:32 EDT 2005

US Government Asks for Extension in Cuban Five Case
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Washington, Aug 25 (Prensa Latina) The US government has requested
the Atlanta Appellate Court for an extension of the deadline, so that
prosecutors have more time to appeal the panel´s unanimous decision
of August 9th that reversed the convictions of the Cuban Five and
remanded a new trial.

According to the verdict of the US Court of Appeals 11th Circuit in
Atlanta, prosecutors had 21 days to appeal its ruling.

The White House, acting on behalf of the Miami Attorney´s office, has
requested 30 more days, till September 29th, so the Miami attorneys
make their case. The move is seen as an attempt by the federal
government to prolong the legal process.

Since the three judge panel issued its 93-page ruling, the Miami
attorneys have had no reaction to it, till the White House now made
the extension request.

The Atlanta verdict reversed the convictions of Gerardo Hernandez,
Rene Gonzalez, Ramon Labañino, Antonio Guerrero and Fernando
Gonzalez, who were sentenced in 2001 by a Miami court in a trial
legal experts believe was a frame-up to harsh terms ranging from 15
years to double life imprisonment.

According to the President of the Cuban Parliament, Ricardo Alarcon,
the US executive office does not know what to do because it has a
lost case from the legal point of view.

Legal experts have pointed out that according to the Atlanta verdict,
the Cuban Five are technically free and should go home, but are still
in prison in high security penitentiaries.

The Atlanta decision was preceded by a UN panel decision that called
the detention of the five Cubans arbitrary.

mh/iff/rob

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