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<DIV><B>Subject: <?/color>Cuba 5 release call<BR></B><BR><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?bigger><?x-tad-bigger>8 February
2006 <BR><BR><B>Harold Pinter and 110 MPs call on US Attorney General to
release Five Cubans held in US prisons</B><BR><BR>Nobel prize winner, Harold
Pinter, 110 MPs, and 15 trade union General Secretaries are among the thousands
of British names on an open letter sent by the Cuba Solidarity Campaign to the
US Attorney General today calling for the immediate release of five Cubans
imprisoned in the United States.<BR><BR> <?fontfamily><?param Arial><?bigger><?x-tad-bigger>The five
Cubans, known internationally as ‘The Miami 5’ have been in US prisons for more
than 7 years despite having their convictions overturned by an Appeal Court in
Atlanta. The Open letter has been released by the Cuba Solidarity Campaign in
advance of a new hearing for the men that takes place on 13 February 2006.<?/x-tad-bigger><?/bigger><?/fontfamily></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?bigger><?x-tad-bigger>Many MPs were
moved to add their names to the letter after a meeting at the House of Commons
with wife of one of the prisoners, Olga Salanueva, in December. At the All
Party Parliamentary Group on Cuba meeting, MPs heard how Mrs Salanueva and her
7 year old daughter Ivette had been unable to visit Rene Gonzalez for 5 years
because the US refuses to grant a visa.<?/x-tad-bigger><?/bigger><?/fontfamily></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?bigger><?x-tad-bigger>Chair of the
APPG Dr Ian Gibson said<?/x-tad-bigger><I><?x-tad-bigger> “The fact that these
men were arrested and charged with spying because they infiltrated US based
groups carrying out terrorist attacks on Cuba, exposes the hypocrisy of the
United States War on
Terror.”<?/x-tad-bigger></I><?/bigger><?/fontfamily></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?bigger><?x-tad-bigger>The open letter
which also condemns the treatment of the prisoners’ families has been signed
by 10,000 people in Britain<?/x-tad-bigger><I><?x-tad-bigger>, <?/x-tad-bigger></I><?x-tad-bigger>and tens of thousands more internationally
including Desmond Tutu, Noam Chomsky and Alice Walker.<?/x-tad-bigger><?/bigger><?/fontfamily></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?bigger><?x-tad-bigger>Just one week
ago, Amnesty International also joined the international call for a retrial of
the prisoners. In a letter to the US State Department the international human
rights group raised “urgent concerns” and “serious questions” about the
fairness of their
convictions.<?/x-tad-bigger><?/bigger><?/fontfamily></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?bigger><?x-tad-bigger>On hearing how many
MPs and supporters had signed the letter, Olga Salanueva, thanked the British
Cuba Solidarity Campaign and public for their support. Speaking from Cuba she
said: <?/x-tad-bigger><I><?x-tad-bigger>“During these seven years of suffering
and sorrow, we the relatives of the Five, feel that we are not alone because
we can count on honest people like you. The fact that Harold Pinter has also
signed this letter along with more than 100 MPs really shows our families that
the solidarity I felt when I was in the UK in December 2005 is a real force. I
am sure that support such as this from friends across the world will help to
bring our loved ones home.”</I></DIV>
<DIV><EM></EM><BR><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?bigger><?x-tad-bigger>Rob
Miller, Director of the Cuba Solidarity Campaign said<?/x-tad-bigger><I><?x-tad-bigger>: “The Cuba Solidarity Campaign first
wrote to MPs in late December about the case. The fact that more than 100 have
already signed the open letter in such a short space of time is testament to
strength of injustice is felt throughout Britain about this case.”<?/x-tad-bigger></I><?/bigger><?/fontfamily></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?bigger><?x-tad-bigger>For further
information please contact Natasha Hickman on<?/x-tad-bigger><?/bigger><?/fontfamily></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE><?fontfamily><?param Arial><?bigger><?x-tad-bigger>020 7263 6452
or at
campaigns@cuba-solidarity.org.uk<?/x-tad-bigger><?/bigger><?/fontfamily></BLOCKQUOTE>
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