U.S. government denies Gerardo’s rehearing petition

WASHINGTON.—On July 6, the District Attorney’s Office for the state of Florida informed the Miami Court of its opposition to the petition presented by Martin Garbus, the lawyer representing Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, asking for a rehearing of the case and the release by the government of additional evidence in order to investigate the issue of journalists paid with federal money to create, before and after the trial of the Cuban Five, what the 2005 Court of Appeal panel described as a perfect storm of prejudice and hostility.

In a clearly evasive maneuver, the government is arguing that the facts presented by the defense are unfounded and it is thus not necessary to procure more information in order to clarify them. In other words, Judge Joan Lenard has been told that the defense exposé of certain journalists’ conduct which, as she herself acknowledged during the trial, amounted to intimidating and harassing the jury, is nothing more than a conspiracy theory and generalized speculation.

In a brief final paragraph the District Attorney’s Office also stated its opposition to the hearing requested by Gerardo. (www.antiterroristas.cu)