UNITED STATES: Amnesty raises concerns over Cuban 5 treatment

Amnesty International sent a letter to the US State Department on February 6 condemning the treatment of five Cubans held in the US for seven years on espionage charges. Known as the Cuban Five, the men were gathering information on right-wing anti-Cuban terrorist groups based in Miami. Amnesty's letter said the five were denied a "fair and impartial" trial and that "the long-term, permanent denial of visits from their immediate families has caused substantial hardship ... beyond the penalties imposed", and is "unnecessarily punitive and contrary both to standards for the humane treatment of prisoners and to states' obligation to protect family life".

From Green Left Weekly, February 15, 2006.

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From GLW issue 656