Scot's plea for teenage bride
BBC News Online.
Monday, 22 January, 2001, 16:13 GMT
A 67-year-old Scot has been barred from bringing his teenage Cuban bride to
Scotland.
William Brand, from Aberdeenshire, first met 17-year-old Mercedes de la
Caridad Mena on a blind date in Havana while on holiday in 1998.
Two years later the couple were married, despite an age gap spanning five
decades.
But their dream of a new life together in Scotland turned sour when
Mercedes' visa application was turned down.
"A few days after our wedding, I applied for a visa for Mercedes, but
the authorities have refused to grant her a permanent settlement visa to come
and live with me in St Fergus," explained Mr Brand.
Speaking from his hotel room in Havana, he said he had appealed the
decision, in the hope they can finally settle in Scotland.
He said he believes the age gap between the pair and the fact she does not
speak English has influenced the decision not grant the visa.
Although his wife is taking English lessons and his Spanish is limited, he
insisted that they can "always get past" their language difficulties.
And he defended the gulf of almost half a century which separates him and
his bride.
He said: "In Cuba, the girls tend to marry men who are a lot older than
them for security.
"My relations all know and approve of our marriage, however some of my
friends don't know."
He added that there had been no developments since his last appeal on 18
December 2000.
In an effort to break the impasse he has contacted his local MSP and former
SNP leader Alex Salmond to see if he can help.
A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office confirmed an appeal would be held to
decide whether Mercedes can move to Scotland and swap Cuba for Aberdeenshire.
"Mercedes de la Caridad Mena was refused a visa by the British Embassy
in Havana in June 2000.
"She has appealed against the decision and the case is currently with
the Home Office," she said.
Czech prisoners in good health
Sunday, 21 January, 2001, 14:46 GMT
A Czech diplomat, Josef Marsicek, has visited two Czech citizens being
detained on subversion charges in Cuba.
Mr Marsicek is reported to have found the former Finance Minister, Ivan
Pilip, and the former student leader, Jan Bubenik, in good health.
A Czech foreign ministry spokesman, Ales Pospisil, told the CTK news agency
that the two detainees felt well, but the conditions in which they were being
held are very unpleasant.
The European Parliament had accused the Cuban government of violating
fundamental rights by refusing to allow consular access to the detained men.
European and Latin American countries have called for the release of the two
men who were arrested nearly 10 days ago after meeting Cuban student dissidents.
Appeal for help
Mr Pilip's wife and Mr Bubenik's brother have travelled to Havana in the
hope of meeting the two detainees, after Cuba granted them visas.
The Czech authorities have found Cuban lawyers for the two men, but they can
only meet them on Monday - the same day the prosecutor is to decide on future
steps to be taken in the case.
The judge could decide then to release the two Czechs, to grant bail, deport
them, or keep them under arrest pending trial.
The Czech Foreign Minister, Jan Kavan, has appealed for help from Mexico,
Chile, the European Union and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in
Europe.
Diplomatic relations between Cuba and the Czech Republic have broken down
since the arrest.
Cuban authorities have accused Mr Pilip, currently a Czech MP, and Mr
Bubenik, who was a leader in the 1989 anti-Communist Velvet Revolution, of being
American agents.
'Counter-revolutionaries'
Cuba has made no official comment on the case, but published accusations in
the Communist Party's official newspaper that the two men were US-backed "counter-revolutionary"
troublemakers.
Cuba and the Czech Republic, once socialist allies, have had tense relations
since the Czechs sponsored a UN condemnation of Havana's human-rights record
last April.
In two cases last year - one involving a meeting between two Swedish
journalists and dissident Cuban reporters, and another where a retired US
academic met opposition figures - the government chose to deport the foreigners
rather than bring charges. | 