HAVANA (BNO NEWS) — A Cuban court on Saturday sentenced U.S. contractor Alan P. Gross to 15 years in prison for crimes against the Cuban state.
Evidence showed that Gross was involved in a subversive project of the U.S. governement intended to undermine the Cuban government by distributing illegal satellite communications equipment. Gross admitted during the trial to have been used and manipulated by USAID which had issued a contract to Development Alternatives Inc., Prensa Latina reported.
Gross, a 60-year-old Maryland resident allegedly caught in Cuba distributing illegal electronic equipment, has been in jail for 13 months. Washington said Gross is an employee of the Development Alternatives company and was helping the Cuban Jewish organization communicate with their counterparts abroad.
The Cuban prosecution were seeking a 20-year jail term.
U.S. National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor slammed the ruling, saying that it “adds another injustice to Alan Gross’s ordeal.”
“He has already spent too many days in detention and should not spend one more,” Vietor said. “We urge the immediate release of Mr. Gross so that he can return home to his wife and family.”
Gross can appeal his sentence to Cuba’s Supreme Court.
Castro did not come in by the ballot, so if any other man throw him out he cann’t cry.
Give us Buju and we will give you Alan!!!! Need I say more?
Sounds like an absolutely fair trade to me.
Why does the US government think its okay to undermine other governments is beyond me. They know that this kind of behaviour is illegal in cuba yet they will send someone under some disguise to enact it. When they do something illegal they try to make the uneducated think its for democracy. The Cuban people don’t have an issue with their government. If they did they would have come out in the thousands to get them out. The only way America can get Castro out of power is to lift the Embargo against them and to stop threatening countries who assist Cuba. I’m glad that they kept him in Jail and I hope he doesn’t win an appeal. Respect people’s lives. Those Cubans in America most of them were those rich aristocrats that were plotting against their own people. Those who lived well off before the castro era. Greedy people who sold their country. Plus America talking about Human rights abuses in Cuba but they highjacked Guantanomo and they’re torturing supposed terrorists who will never see a day in court. Right on Cuban soil where they say people are being abused they americans are abusing alleged terrorist without trials. So please I don’t care one lickty split about anyone trying undermine what this country stands for. Capitalism is all about the rich staying rich nothing about caring about the poor.
The Cubans should make a truce.
The US should free the Five and Cuba will release Gross in exchange.
For the life of me I cannot understand why governments think they have to control people’s lives. All over the world, even in capitalist countries is the same thing, they think that you cannot even breathe without asking them permission or breaking some law. Freedom is from God, leave people alone!
one ting with the u.s though i like them but when u get caught n they seem involved in ur demise,,, it’s rather easy to leave u rot to save face lol when u say “We urge the immediate release of Mr. Gross so that he can return home to his wife and family.” sheesh who dem man talking to,,,, dat not russia,,, cuba’s more harsh lol
lol mouth of the sot doe easy
What about all those so called terrorists they have hauled up on Guatanomo in the face of those Cuban people? Don’t these men have families to? Some of them taken away in the middle of night from their families because they America say these people are terrorists. I’m not disputing the fact that there maybe terrorists amongst them but how can we figure that out if they aren’t giving those men a fair day in court? There are several files of american abuse on these men in there. So why should this man be let go if they caught him distributing communication devices which are clearly illegal? They will let you rot because thats capitalism a boldface form of stabbing people in the back!