British Foreign Secretary William Hague confirms UK Government is monitoring the case of the Miami Five
Campaign News | Friday, 22 March 2013
Foreign Secretary William Hague - in correspondence with Harriet Harman MP regarding visitation rights for the wives of the Miami Five - has admitted that “the British Embassy in Washington continues to monitor the situation closely”.
The Miami Five are five Cubans unjustly tried and imprisoned by the United States government. Two of the prisoners’ wives, Olga Salanueva and Adriana Pérez, have been denied visitation rights and refused visas to visit their husbands on ten separate occasions.
Human rights organisations have condemned the trial and the treatment of the families, with Amnesty International describing the treatment of the Miami Five as “contrary both to the standards for the humane treatment of prisoners and to a states’ obligation to protect family life.”
Mr Hague said, “We are aware of the concerns here in the UK regarding access for Mrs Perez and Mrs Salanueva”.
In correspondence with a constituent, Labour Deputy Leader Harriet Harman said the treatment of the Miami Five and their families was “a particularly sad and difficult case” and said she appreciated Mr Hague’s response “may be disappointing”.
Already 126 UK MPs have signed a parliamentary motion (EDM 497) calling for visitations rights to be granted to Olga and Adriana. Every single political party sitting in the House of Commons is represented and this motion is the ninth most supported out of over 1,200 similar motions active in this parliamentary session.
Rob Miller, Director of Cuba Solidarity Campaign said
“The motion again illustrates the level and breadth of support within the UK for justice for these five brave men and their families. We hope that President Obama will do the right thing and put an end to this flagrant denial of basic human rights perpetrated in the name of the United States”
