Desde Dentro de Cuba.

Distribuido por Cuba Free Press, Inc. - http://www.cubafreepress.org

HAVANA, July 25, 1998, Cuba Free Press.

AGRAMONTIST CURRENT LAWYER'S TRIAL CONTINUES. By Juan Antonio Sanchez, Cuba Free Press.

PINAR DEL RIO - The trial of Lazaro Ginardo Godinez Gonzalez, 34, resumed on July 21 for the third time with the prosecuting attorney attempting to produce witnesses to testify against the lawyer, who is a member of the Agramontist Current, a dissident group. Godinez is handling his own defense.

According to previous accounts by Cuba Free Press reporters, Godinez has been charged with five counts of falsification of public documents. Godinez, who contends he is innocent, said he believes the charges grow out of his defense of dissidents in Pinar del Rio courts beginning in 1993. He maintains that he is being framed.

"Here," Godinez said, "are judged not only attorney Lazaro Godinez but the honor and decorum of Cuban lawyers and, especially, of those citizens who taught me what is justice and the courage to work for it, and that is all I have done."

The trial began July 9 and when it continued on July 10 was marked by three defense witnesses who strongly rejected the charges brought by the prosecuting attorney, Gustavo Diaz Fernandez.

Some observers contend that the judge in the case has been overprotective of the witnesses brought by the prosecutor and aggressive with defense witnesses, to the point of trying to demoralize them.

By Juán Antonio Sánchez, Cuba Free Press.