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Cuban Five Case Discussed at French Senate

Apr. 21, 2008

A colloquium held in the French Senate tackled the topic of Human Rights, Law and the Cuban Five, nearly ten years after their imprisonment in the United States for gathering information on Florida based groups plotting terrorist attacks against the island.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in Paris 60 years ago, was the backdrop of the discussions that took place at the Medicis Hall of the Palace of Luxembourg, with representatives from 17 countries attending.

The event, called by the International Association of Democratic Jurists and 12 other human rights organizations, opened with the words of well-known French jurist Nuri Albala, who referred to the inconsistencies in the process against the Cuban patriots.

Magali Llort, mother of Cuban Five member Fernando Gonzalez, spoke about the difficulties faced by the mothers and relatives of the Cuban Five in trying to visit their loved ones in different US prisons, such as enormous obstacles in getting a visa.

Maurice Lemoine, chief editor of Le Monde Diplomatique, spoke of Miami as an inappropriate place and obstacle for the defense of the Cuban Five and the holding of a fair and balanced trial.

Leonard Weinglass, attorney for Antonio Guerrero, went into detail on the legal quagmire that could hold up a prompt release of the Cuban Five.

Also speaking at the colloquium were Roberto Gonzalez, defense collaborator and brother of Rene Gonzalez, Professors Bill Bowring (Great Britain) and Fabio Marcelli (Italy), Anne Marie Barone (Switzerland) and Jeanne Moutet (France).