This September 12, 2010 marks 12 years of unjust confinement in U.S. prisons for Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, Ramón Labañino Salazar, Antonio Guerrero Rodríguez, Fernando González Llort and René González Sehwerert.

From the time of their arrest and during the long and rigged legal proceedings, in which disproportionate sentences were handed down, including a life sentence for two of them and double life for another, these five Cubans have confronted major obstacles to the exercise of their rights and have been subjected to cruel punishments, including long periods of solitary confinement and, in the cases of Gerardo and René, the denial of visits from their wives.

During these years our people, together with the family members of the Five, have condemned this injustice and have fought for their liberation convinced of their innocence, given that their only mission in that country was to monitor terrorist groups that, for the last 50 years, have been perpetrating crimes against Cuba with impunity. No action taken by the Five has ever endangered the security of the United States. The U.S. authorities know that very well and it was even acknowledged during the trial by the district attorney and high-ranking military chiefs in that country.

If one single reason is needed to demonstrate all of the injustice and revanchism contained in this case, beyond their proven innocence, suffice it to mention that during the last few decades, no other individual in that country, who has been accused and found guilty of espionage – including activities linked to armed and violent acts against the United States – has received such a long sentence and in no case, a life term, and many of those imprisoned have been released.

At the end of 12 years, after the Supreme Court refusal to review their cases, all possibilities in the legal system have been exhausted. The situation our five brothers continues being extremely difficult; while three of them have had their sentences slightly reduced, Gerardo Hernández is still serving a double-life sentence plus 15 years in maximum security conditions.

Referring to the need for solidarity to attain justice, the distinguished U.S. attorney Leonard Weinglass, one of the defense lawyers for the Five declared, "The worst thing that can happen to someone in the U.S. judicial system is to be on ones own. Solidarity is necessary not only to pressure the court, but to show that the world is watching and that the law should be obeyed."

We are certain that the struggle for their release, which has been joined by peoples; social, political and professional organizations; and governments and Parliaments all over the world, in a gesture of this just cause, will continue to grow.

Today, it is more than ever necessary to demand that administration of the United States put an end to this injustice and free these five Cubans now.