Friday, February 25, 2011

Cuba will judge the U.S. contractor Alan Gross on March 4

Authorities in Cuba set for March 4 trial date to U.S. contractor Alan Gross, arrested in Havana since December 2009 and charged with crimes against the independence or territorial integrity of the state, said today the official website Cubadebate. According to a statement released by the digital site, the People's Provincial Tribunal of Havana said by that time the Gross hearing, after "all the evidence presented by the defense in its written provisional conclusions were admitted." "This information was forwarded through diplomatic channels to the United States Government, which is also reported that their consular representatives, the family of Mr.

Gross and his family's lawyers may participate in the trial," he adds. Earlier Thursday, State Department spokesman, PJ Crowley, had disclosed this information in your Twitter account, but without revealing when the trial is held. In his message, Crowley said he expected Gross to have a fair trial and could go home as well he did reiterate that Gross is not a crime.

" Gross, 61, is a subcontractor of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the company works for Development Alternatives (DAI), based in Maryland, which is engaged in development work in other countries. His detention in Cuba occurred on 3 December 2009, when he was arrested for distributing technology to a Jewish community and charged with espionage, but until earlier this month there were no formal charges against him.

The Cuban Prosecutor seeks sentence of 20 years in prison for Gross for the crime of "acts against the independence or territorial integrity" of the country. On several occasions, directly or indirectly, Washington has demanded the release of Alan Gross, whose case has become a new "obstacle" between Cuba and the United States faced more than fifty years.

Last January, the "Gross case" re-qualify the migration talks between the two countries took place in Havana, after the U.S. reiterated its request for release of the contractor. Washington believes that this case prevents progress on issues of common interest with Cuba, said Undersecretary of State for Latin America, Arturo Valenzuela.

Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has met more than once with the Gross family and has been personally involved in the case. Last December, the president of Cuba's National Assembly, Ricardo Alarcon, said Gross's case would be treated "properly and in compliance with procedures," and said the contractor had committed crimes.

EFE

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