|
CUBA
NEWS
Yahoo!
Cuban general, two pilots indicted in 1996
downing of two civilian planes
MIAMI, 21 (AFP) - A Cuban general and two MiG
pilots have been indicted in the deaths of four
Cuban-Americans killed when their planes were
shot down during a flight near Cuba in 1996, US
prosecutors announced.
The three could face the death penalty said Marcos
Daniel Jimenez, US federal attorney for southern
Florida.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment
against Ruben Martinez Puente, who at the time
headed the Cuban air force, and fighter pilots
Lorenzo Alberto Perez-Perez and Francisco Perez-Perez.
The three are charged in the shooting down of
two planes of the Miami-based Brothers to the
Rescue group during a February 24, 1996 flight
over international waters near Cuba. The four
people -- three US nationals and one Cuban-born
US resident -- aboard the planes were killed.
The group, which staunchly opposes the communist
government of President Fidel Castro (news - web
sites), said the planes, as well as a third that
returned to Miami unharmed, were on a routine
mission searching for rafters fleeing Cuba.
The defendants are charged with four counts of
murder, one count of conspiracy to kill US nationals
and two counts of destruction of aircraft, said
Jimenez.
"The maximum penalty for these charges is
life imprisonment or the death penalty,"
he said.
"This indictment is the next step in ensuring
that those responsible for the premeditated murder
of defenseless US nationals are brought to justice.
There is simply no justification -- legal or otherwise
-- for their actions, and as such, they must face
the consequences," said Jimenez.
The indictment alleges the shoot-down was part
of a conspiracy in which Cuban spies infiltrated
US-based anti-Castro groups, and lured Brothers
to the Rescue into flying on the day they were
downed by Cuban MiGs.
It said that Juan Pablo Roque, who has since
been accused of working as a double agent at the
behest of the Cuban government, told the FBI (news
- web sites) at the time the group did not plan
to fly on the fateful day so that US authorities
would not prevent the flights.
The group has in the past been accused of illegally
flying over Cuban airspace to drop anti-Castro
pamphlets.
Days after the shooting, Roque emerged in Cuba,
where he denounced Brothers to the Rescue of planning
terrorist acts against Cuba.
The indictment said the Cuban operation, dubbed
"Operation Scorpion" also included gathering
intelligence on US military operations at a naval
air station in Key West, Florida, 150 kilometers
(100 miles) north of Cuba.
In an open letter to President George W. Bush
(news - web sites), the Miami-based Cuban Liberty
Council hailed the decision to try the Cubans,
though it appears unlikely they would show up
for the trial.
"It is extremely encouraging to realize
that your commitment for the liberty of Cuba is
being implemented," the group said.
"This is a memorable date for the family
of the victims, the Cuban exiles and ... for a
free and democratic Cuba," it said.
CANF praises indictment of Cuban pilots, airforce
commander
Crucial First Step in Establishing Chain of
Responsibility to Castro Brothers
U.S.
Newswire, August 21,
2003.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Today,
the Cuban American National Foundation expressed
praise for the Bush Administration's decision
to indict two Cuban MIG pilots and the Commander
of the Cuban Air Force for the murder of four
Brothers to the Rescue pilots shot-down over international
waters in February of 1996.
The indictment of Fidel and Raul Castro, and
that of the pilots directly responsible for shooting
down the unarmed Cessnas, has been at the top
of the agenda for CANF. Most recently, in a letter
to the White House made public this month, the
CANF proposed four points on which the Administration
could take immediate steps to effect democratic
change in Cuba, among them were to: increase the
effectiveness of Radio and TV Marti; indict Fidel
and Raul Castro and those responsible in the chain
of command for the murder of the four pilots;
increase assistance to opposition groups in Cuba,
and; revise the wet-foot/dry-foot policy with
respect to Cuban asylum seekers.
Earlier today, the White House announced that
it will employ a new system of satellite transmissions
to the island in an attempt to re-vamp TV Marti.
"We are very pleased that the Administration
has finally moved towards the ultimate goal of
indicting Fidel and Raul Castro for the murders
of thousands of innocent Cubans. We are encouraged
by today's announcements and hope this establishes
a new pro-active approach to our Cuba policy,"
said Jorge Mas Santos, Chairman of the Cuban American
National Foundation.
Contact: Mariela Ferretti, 305-592-7768 or Dennis
Hays, 202-530-1894; both of the Cuban American
National Foundation
|
