[Ppnews] U.S. Government continues its Nazi treatment of Gerardo Hernández

[Political Prisoner News]

U.S. Government continues its Nazi treatment of Gerardo Hernández

Posted: 28 Jul 2010 02:40 PM PDT
http://machetera.wordpress.com/2010/07/28/u-s-government-continues-its-nazi-treatment-of-gerardo-hernandez/

In the United States, unlike Cuba, we never free 
political prisoners and we certainly don’t give 
them medical care.  We send them to the hole, we 
punish them while they’re in the hole, and we 
deny them access to their attorneys.  And our 
State Department ignores any questions on the 
subject.  Like with Gerardo Hernández.  Gerardo 
says that this picture (of a Nazi torture cell) 
is a dead ringer for the hole where he is being 
held.  Except that I’ll bet this one is bigger.

Arturo Valenzuela is the Assistant Secretary of 
State for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the State 
Department.  Switchboard: 202-647-4000

Alarcón: The United States is Responsible for 
Gerardo Hernández’s Health – 
<http://cambiosencuba.blogspot.com/2010/07/alarcon-eeuu-es-responsable-de-salud-de.html>español

Translation: Machetera

Prensa Latina – Today Ricardo Alarcón, the 
President of Cuba’s National Assembly of People’s 
Power, said the U.S. government was responsible 
for the health of the anti-terrorist fighter, 
Gerardo Hernández, a prisoner in the United 
States who is suffering from health problems.

“Gerardo’s health is in danger and the U.S. 
government is entirely responsible for this,” 
warned Alarcón at the convention center in 
Havana, where the permanent parliamentary 
committees are working in advance of the fifth 
set of meetings for the Assembly’s seventh legislature.

Alarcón further emphasized that justice was being 
obstructed in Gerardo’s case since he is being 
confined to the “hole” in the prison at 
Victorville, California, without having committed any infractions.

The head of the Cuban parliament says it is a 
very serious situation, because Gerardo is not 
only in the hole, but in punishing conditions, in 
an extremely small cell without ventilation, with 
only a tiny opening high in the wall of the cell 
that he shares with another captive.

“The U.S. government knows that Gerardo has 
certain physical ailments, for which he has been 
asking to be seen by doctors since last April,” 
said Alarcón, who added that Gerardo was only 
allowed a medical consult on July 20th.  The 
following day, however, he was taken to the hole, 
a cell two meters long by one wide, where the 
temperatures are more than 95 degrees, despite 
the fact that he was diagnosed with several 
problems and still lacking treatment.

Alarcon said that apparently Gerardo is suffering 
from a bacteria that according to the doctor who 
attended him, was circulating among the prison 
population, with some very serious cases – 
although it’s not yet known for certain if 
Gerardo has it too, because no analysis was 
done.  It also appears that Gerardo is suffering 
from newly increased blood pressure.  He is a 
young man, barely 45 years old, but has 
experienced more than 12 extremely difficult episodes, recalled Alarcón.

Alarcón expressed his concern for the health of 
the Cuban anti-terrorist, despite his strong 
will, above all, because he is not receiving 
medical attention.  “We have continually 
complained to the State Department and have not 
received a response.  It is not just that he is 
in the hole, but in punishment conditions within the hole,” he said.

He pointed out that Gerardo is unable to 
communicate with his attorneys exactly at the 
time when they are working on his appeal, a 
situation that has happened again and again 
throughout the entire process.  “Gerardo ought to 
be working with his attorneys on the grounds for 
his habeas corpus appeal.  The U.S. government 
knows this and right now they have him 
incommunicado; he cannot communicate with his 
attorneys, cannot receive correspondence, he is 
completely isolated and on top of it all, he is 
ill, with risks to his physical integrity,” he emphasized.




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