Cuban consul denied visit to Gerardo

Cuban consul denied visit to Gerardo; Authorities interfere with legal defense

Just as Gerardo Hernández' legal team is preparing new documents and he is actively engaged in the latest phase of his legal appeals (see next story), U.S. authorities have once again intervened. Last Saturday, Gerardo was denied a visit from the Cuban consul and on Monday, his attorney Martin Garbus was delayed entry to see him for several hours. Garbus was eventually allowed to meet with Gerardo, but was denied the right to bring with him crucial documents that he needed to review with Gerardo. He was even denied the right to bring pencil and paper to the visit.

The National Committee to Free the Cuban Five denounces these utterly unjust actions, which only strengthens our demands for justice for Gerardo and for all the Five.

The following statement was released by the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX):
One of the five antiterrorist fighters unjustly imprisoned in the United States, Hero of the Republic of Cuba, Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, has been subject of a new arbitrariness by the authorities of that country, aiming at hindering his legal process.

Last Saturday, July 7th, the Cuban officers who had been already authorized by the State Department to carry out a consular visit to Gerardo, were not able to fulfill it, under the supposed argument that the memorandum of the Chief of the penitentiary center Victorville, in California, authorizing their entrance to the prison, was not available at the reception desk...

Additionally, last July 9th, lawyer Martin Garbus, member of Gerardo´s defense team, who had scheduled a legal visit to review, together with Gerardo, the documentation related to the current collateral process of appeal, was not able to do it with the same pretext that the memorandum of authorization of the chief of prison was not at the reception desk...

This is not the first time events like this one occur. They have taken place systematically during every key moment of Gerardo´s legal process...

The Minister of Foreign Affairs denounces this new maneuver by US authorities, aiming at hindering Gerardo´s process of appeal, depriving him from one of the few rights he has as a prisoner in the United States.

Read the full MinRex Statement here: http://www.freethefive.org/legalFront/LFGerardoMinrex71212.htm

© Scoop Media