Brussels, june 6,  2008.

Dear President Bush,

We have been informed that the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals of Atlanta has made a decision in the case of the Cuban Five. They have confirmed the sentences of Gerardo Hernández and René González.  They have sent the cases of Fernando González, Antonio Guerrero and Ramon Labañino back to the court of Miami, probably the only place in the US where it will be impossible for them to get a fair trial.

We protest strongly against this decision.  These five men, whose only mission was to fight terrorism, deserve immediate liberation. 

In 2005 the same 11th Circuit Court of Appeals of Atlanta had decided that the Miami trial of the Five was unfair and that they should be retried in a venue outside of Miami.

The UN group on Arbitrary Detentions declared in its OPINION No. 19/2005 that “the deprivation of Iiberty of Messrs. Antonio Guerrero Rodriguez, Mr. Fernando González Llort, Mr Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, Mr. Ramón Labañino Salazar and Mr. René González Sehwerert is arbitrary, being in contravention of article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and corresponds to category III of the applicable categories examined in the cases before the Working Group. Having issued this opinion, the Working Group requests the Government to adopt the necessary steps to remedy the situation, in conformity with the principles stated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

Amnesty International has strongly condemned the fact that Adriana Perez, wife of Gerardo Hernandez, and Olga Salanueva, wife of René González, have not been granted visa to enter the US and visit their husbands. This is a violation of the elementary rights of the prisoners.

If the main concern of the United States is to fight terror, as you keep insisting, the decision of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals of Atlanta is incomprehensible; the sole concern of these five men has been to fight terrorism and save lives. Just as incomprehensible is the fact that in the meanwhile Luis Posada Carriles, an internationally wanted terrorist whose extradition has been requested by Venezuela, remains free. He is living untroubled in Miami and there are strong indications that he soon will be granted full pardon by the US Government.

We denounce the decision to uphold the convictions of the Cuban Five and we demand their immediate release. We will persist until the Five have been completely acquitted of all charges and returned to their families in Cuba.

Sincerely yours,

Minrex