Guerrero, Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, René González, and Fernando González are serving prison terms of between 15 years and a double life sentence after being framed up and convicted in June 2001 in a U.S. federal court.

They were in the United States to gather information on the activities of counterrevolutionary groups in the United States that have a history of launching violent attacks on Cuba from U.S. soil.

Unable to prove any illegal acts by the five men, the federal government pushed through convictions on a series of conspiracy charges, including conspiracy to act as an unregistered agent of a foreign power, to commit espionage, and to commit murder.

The confinement of the five in the "hole" takes place as their attorneys are preparing for an April 7 appeals hearing in Atlanta. The attorneys became aware of the situation during a discussion in preparation for the hearing when one of them reported not being able to get in touch with his client. Weinglass called prison authorities and was told Guerrero was in "isolation."

Prisoners in solitary confinement can be visited only by their attorneys. But Weinglass tried for two days without success to speak with his client. Supporters of the five Cuban patriots who attempted to visit two of the prisoners March 7--Labañino in the federal prison in Beaumont, Texas, and Hernández in Lompoc, California--were turned away. Those seeking to visit Hernández were told, "It is possible they will not get any visitors other than their family in the future."

Asked in an interview with Radio Havana if placing the five prisoners in solitary confinement could be related to Washington’s war moves against Iraq, Weinglass explained that he believes it is related but that the confinement of the five men has no basis in any "real security concern" of prison officials.

In a move to isolate them following their conviction in a Miami court nearly two years ago, U.S. authorities ordered the five to be held in different prisons across the country. The fact that all five, in separate jails, were put in isolation, noted Weinglass, indicates it was an overall decision by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. For this reason defenders of the five Cubans are asking that protest letters be directed to the federal prison authorities.

Messages demanding the five Cuban patriots be released from solitary confinement should be sent to: Kathleen Hawk Sawyer, Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, 320 First St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20534; tel. (202) 307-3198; fax 202-514-6620; e-mail: webmaster@bop.gov
 
 
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Let the Cuban 5 out of the hole  
 
 
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