Unite’s Tony Woodley and UK personalities sign petition for the
Miami Five
12th August 2008
Beverley Naidoo, Iain Banks, Harold Pinter and Susannah York
call on US government to grant family visiting rights
Next month marks the 10th anniversary of the arrest of the Miami
Five - five Cubans jailed for trying to stop US based terrorist
attacks against their country and Unite is backing a campaign for
Justice for the imprisoned men and their families.
The campaign is particularly focussed on the visiting rights for
two of the wives of the prisoners, Olga Salanueva, wife of Rene
Gonzalez and Adriana Pérez, wife of Gerardo Hernandez who have both
been denied the right by the US authorities to even see their
husbands for 8 and 10 years.
To coincide with the anniversary of their arrests in Miami on 12
September 1998, UK personalities, including several trade union
general secretaries are adding their name to an appeal for Justice
for the Five and their families.
Signatories include many famous names from the world of
politics, law, music and arts including writers Iain Banks,
Beverley Naidoo, Harold Pinter and actors Julie Christie, Susannah
York and Maxine Peake. Unite’s joint general secretaries, Tony
Woodley and Derek Simpson, Unison’s Dave Prentis, CWU’s Billy Hayes
have also signed the petition.
The full list of signatories will be published in the national
media in September and there is still time for personalities and
individuals alike to add their names to this petition by contacting
Cuba Solidarity Campaign.
Unite joint general secretary said: “The Miami Five were acting
to defend their country and have paid an enormous price. They are
locked up in prison thousands of miles away from their children and
wives. Unite is giving its support to gain family visitation rights
and is seeking, ultimately, the release of the Miami five.”
Rob Miller, Director Cuba Solidarity Campaign, said: “Ten years
have now passed and we must ensure that this case is highlighted so
that the campaign for these Five and their families will eventually
result in their return home. We want to publish a huge list of
names to illustrate the breadth of support there is in the UK for
this campaign for justice.”
The list includes a wide spread of political figures including
MPs from all parties such as Diane Abbott, Peter Bottomley and
Vince Cable.
Amnesty International have condemned this measure as “
unnecessarily punitive and contrary both to standards for the
humane treatment of prisoners and to states’ obligation to protect
family life.”
Both Olga and Adriana will attend a public anniversary vigil at
the US Embassy in London at 6pm on Tuesday 7th October 2008, the
same day that the petition will be handed over to US officials.
Personalities and individuals who wish to add their names to the
petition can do so by emailing office@cuba-solidarity.org.uk
or calling 020 8800 0155
For more information contact Rob Miller:
director@cuba-solidarity.org.uk tel: 020 8800 0155 mob.07930 693
900
Notes to Editors:
- The Cuba Solidarity Campaign is a UK NGO that campaigns against
the illegal US blockade of Cuba and for respect for Cuba's
sovereignty.
- The Miami Five are Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, Ramón Labañino,
Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González and René González. They were
sentenced to prison terms of between 15 to 25 years in the USA
after being convicted of conspiracy to act as agents of the Cuban
government and related charges.
- In May 2005 the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary
Detention, part of the Geneva-based UN Commission on Human Rights,
ruled that the detention of the five men was arbitrary and in
violation of international law.
- Amnesty International on the case
http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?lang=e&id=ENGAMR510132007
- Further information about the Miami Five can be found at
www.cuba-solidarity.org.uk
www.freethefive.org
Cuba Solidarity Campaign, c/o Unite - Woodberry, 218 Green
Lanes, London N4 2HB Tel: 020 8800 0155; Fax: 020 8800 9844
www.cuba-solidarity.org.uk
