|
|
HAVANA, CubaPress.The trial against Radamés García de
la Vega, a leader of the Cuban Youth for Democracy Movement (MCJD), will take
place in the next 72 hours, said MCJD Vice President Heriberto Leiva Rodríguez.
The opposition activist, imprisoned for "disrespect" towards
Commander in Chief Fidel Castro, was able to inform his organization of the
impending trial via telephone from Palma Soriano. He has not been officially
informed by the Court of the proceedings, but received word from his lawyer that
the date had been set for Monday June 16.
It's going to be a fast, rubber-stamp trial" said Leiva, "
because State Security (Cuba's political police) wants the main Universities
Without Borders organizers out of circulation during the World Youth Festival in
Havana".
[Universities Without Borders is a MCJD project to restore autonomy and
non-political status to the nation's universities now under Communist Party
control Ed.]
The first student leader to be targeted for silencing was MCJD President Néstor
Rodríguez Lovaina, who was recently sentenced to 18 months imprisonment
in Combinado de Guantanamo Prison for the crimes of "resistance" and "civil
disobedience".
The State has demanded a sentence of 18 months of "correctional labor"
for Radamés García in case 22 of the Palma Soriano People's Court
for alleged disrespect towards the President, a crime in Cuba.
Government prosecutors have branded the youth leader as engaging in "socially
dangerous conduct", since the accused "does not participate in the
Committees for the Defense of the Revolution [neighborhood political
surveillance networks]". Further, he has been accused of "expressing
opposition to the revolutionary path of the nation".
Radamés García has been arrested on several occasions for his
peaceful opposition activities.
© CubaPress - Ana Luisa López Baeza, Havana
Translated for CubaNet by Miguel Casuso
|