| For Immediate Release Jun 9, 2001 |
Contact: Press Office 202-646-5172 |
Cuban Spy Found Guilty of Conspiracy To Commit Murder Verdict Will Fuel Justice Efforts Against Castro IN SEPARATE DEVELOPMENT, ELIAN CASES MOVE FORWARD (Miami, FL) Judicial Watch, the public interest law firm that investigates and prosecutes government abuse and corruption, rejoiced late yesterday as a Miami jury found five Cuban spies guilty of espionage. One of the defendants, the spies’ ringleader, was found guilty of conspiring to commit the shootdown deaths of four Brothers to the Rescue pilots in 1996. Judicial Watch represents Brothers to the Rescue and its leader José Basulto, and Judicial Watch counsel was present with him when he offered key testimony during the Cuban spy trial. During the trial, the judge – the Honorable Joan Lenard – applied a gag order on Basulto and Judicial Watch, and Basulto’s other counsel, not to discuss their demand that Cuban dictator Fidel Castro be indicted for his obvious role in the murder of the Brothers to the Rescue pilots. “Now that the trial is over, and Castro’s espionage agent, Gerardo Hernandez, has been found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, it is clear that Castro himself must now be held accountable. Judicial Watch, Mr. Basulto, and Brothers to the Rescue will not rest until Castro is indicted and convicted of murder. In addition to various legal actions by Judicial Watch, pressure will be brought on various government justice officials to do their jobs and indict the murderous dictator,” stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman. In a separate development yesterday, a Miami federal judge ruled that former Clinton Attorney General Janet Reno, former INS Commissioner Doris Meissner and former Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder could be sued personally over the illegal raid on Elian Gonzalez’s Miami family’s home. This effectively clears the way for Judicial Watch’s $100 million dollar lawsuit against them on behalf of Miami’s Cuban community, who were mercilessly gassed and beaten by Reno’s INS agents. Judicial Watch is also pursuing a $25 million dollar lawsuit on behalf of an INS agent who participated in the illegal raid, but has in good conscience come forward to reveal obstruction of justice and anti-Hispanic prejudice concerning the illegal raid. | |