Amnesty Intl's 2011 Report on U.S. Calls Cuban Five Trial "Unfair," Spotlights Paid Journalist Issue

Amnesty International has released its 2011 report on human rights around the world. In its chapter on the United States, the section entitled "Unfair Trials" lists just one - the trial of the Cuban Five. The writeup spotlights the issue which has been the focus of the work of the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five for more than a year, and which forms a central part of the current round of appeals of the Five - the U.S. government-paid journalists who helped poison the atmosphere during the trial.

In June, a new appeal was filed in the case of Gerardo Hernández, one of five men convicted in 2001 of acting as intelligence agents for Cuba and related charges. The appeal was based, in part, on evidence that the US government had secretly paid journalists to write prejudicial articles in the media at the time of trial, thereby undermining the defendants' due process rights. In October, Amnesty International sent a report to the Attorney General outlining the organization's concerns in the case.

On October 2010 Amnesty International had published a Report on the case of the Cuban Five concluding that:

"The organization believes that the concerns outlined above combine to raise serious doubts about the fairness of the proceedings leading to their conviction, in particular the prejudicial impact of publicity about the case on a jury in Miami. Amnesty International hopes that these concerns can still be given due consideration by the appropriate appeal channels. Should the legal appeals process not provide a timely remedy, and given the long prison terms imposed and length of time the prisoners have already served, Amnesty International is supporting calls for a review of the case by the US executive authorities through the clemency process or other appropriate means."