Madam, – I note you mentioned the case of the Miami Five in The Irish Times (World News, October 14th) and welcome that fact. I must correct the remainder of the “facts” as presented.
Antonio Guerrero did indeed have his life sentence commuted to 22 years for a crime he did not commit by the same judge who sentenced him wrongly in the first place. This is of cold comfort to his millions of supporters around the world, including the members of Free the Miami Five Campaign Ireland, supported by myself, 48 other Irish TDs and Senators, former president Mary Robinson and members of Ictu, Siptu and Unite in this country.
The world is pained by the injustice inflicted on Mr Guerrero and his family by a court in Miami that convicted him, not of spying as you stated, but of “conspiracy” to commit espionage. He did no such thing. Six generals of the US military testified to that effect in court but were not listened to.
No evidence of espionage was presented to the court, because none took place. The UN Human Rights Commission investigated the case and confirmed he and his four compatriots did not receive a fair trial. Amnesty International have said the same.
Mr Guerrero is a published poet, an accomplished artist and a hero in his own country. He provides maths and literacy classes to prison inmates in the C-max prison he is forced to call home. If he is lucky he may be permitted one visit from a relative this year. He is supported by well over 200 human rights advocacy groups around the world.
We will continue to speak on his behalf because he is denied a voice to cry out against the injustice that has been inflicted upon him and his four compatriots. Mr Guerrero did nothing wrong and used no violence. He merely helped prevent US-based terrorist groups from attacking Cuba.
That is enough to have the US set aside its constitution to have him silenced. – Yours, etc,