3,000 to be amnestied
Leader of Cuba Raul Castro on December 23 declared that the island's authorities would release 3,000 prisoners by amnesty, including 86 citizens of 25 other countries, reports Agence France-Presse.
Castro has declared that the criminals will be released "soon" and has mentioned that the island's authorities have taken that step based on humanism.
In the text of the official decision it is mentioned that individuals above the age of 60, women, patients, as well as youth who hadn't committed a crime until then will be released by amnesty. Those who have been sentenced for assaults against people, theft, robbery and espionage won't be amnestied.
Those who have committed crimes against the state and have served a part of their time in prison will also be released for good behavior.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Cuba has declared that the amnesty will also refer to U.S. citizen Alan Gros, who had been sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2009 for making an attempt to bring satellite equipment to Cuba through an agreement with the U.S. Department of State.
The Cuban court ruled that that equipment could be used to breach the constitutional order. However, the U.S. government claimed that the satellite equipment was actually aimed at establishing Internet contacts with the Jewish community on the island.
The U.S. government has demanded its citizen several times and has even offered to exchange him with Rene Gonzalez, who is in prison for espionage, but that has been in vain.
