René González of 'Cuban Five' Granted Humanitarian Travel

René González, the only one of the Cuban Five to have been released from a US prison since their arrest in 1998, has finally been granted permission to visit his dying brother Roberto, in Cuba.

Despite serving out his sentence and being released in 2011, René is being forced to remain in the United States for an additional three years of probation.

National and international campaigns spearheaded by the Fee the Five Campaign, and the persistent efforts of René's attorney Phil Horowitz, put pressure on US authorities to honour the right of René, Roberto and their families to be together at this time.

Judge Joan Lenard on Monday issued an order granting permission to René to travel home for two weeks. He cannot leave immediately, however, as he must still obtain travel licenses and permission from the U.S. government, to comply with procedural requirements, including notifications for his parole officer.

On being informed of the decision, Phil Horowitz said:

“On behalf of the Gonzalez family, I would like to thank the court for recognizing the humanitarian nature of this request. This will allow René to be there for his brother as Roberto was there for René.”

ENDS

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