US contractor found guilty in Cuba

Alan Gross has been found guilty of crimes against the state and sentenced to 15 years in prison A Cuban court has found U.S. contractor Alan Gross guilty of crimes against the state and sentenced him to 15 years in prison, a verdict that is sure to have sweeping repercussions for already-sour relations between Washington and Havana. The court said prosecutors had proved their case that Gross, 61, was working on a “subversive” program paid for by the United States that aimed to bring down Cuba’s revolutionary system. Prosecutors had sought a 20-year sentence. The U.S. government and Gross’s family say he was working to improve internet access for the island’s Jewish community, and should be released. Cuban officials have called him a mercenary and maintained his motives were more nefarious. The court said the program that Gross worked on – part of a $20 million Washington effort to support democracy on the island – showed that the U.S. government continues to seek the government’s overthrow. Gross’s backers will try to get him released through a court action or executive pardon, possibly on humanitarian grounds. His wife Judy says Gross has lost more than 90 pounds since his arrest, and that his 26-year-old daughter and 88-year-old mother are both suffering from cancer. There was no immediate reaction to the verdict from Washington, or Gross’s family. Cuba United States guardian.co.uk

Posted by on March 12, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.