Written answers

Tuesday, 8 July 2008

Department of Foreign Affairs

Ministerial Correspondence

11:00 pm

Photo of Finian McGrathFinian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 459: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will work closely with the Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht on the Miami 5 case and publicly demand their release. [26873/08]

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The case to which the Deputy refers relates to five Cuban citizens who were convicted in the US in 2001 on charges ranging from espionage to first degree murder. As I have previously informed the Deputy, it is my understanding that the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, Georgia, has considered this case three times and most recently upheld the 2001 convictions on 4 June 2008. It is also my understanding that the defendants' legal counsel is considering other avenues for appeal, including recourse to the US Supreme Court. I am aware that my colleague, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, has had informal contact with a Belgian group concerned with this case. However, as the Deputy has been advised previously, the Government has no standing in this matter, which is a bilateral consular question between the US and the Cuban authorities and, consequently, I do not intend to pursue this matter.

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