Desde Dentro de Cuba.

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

SANTA CLARA, August 20, 1998, Cuba Free Press.

GOVERNMENT CHARGES POLITICAL PRISONERS COORDINATOR WITH TERRORISM By Héctor Trujillo Pis, Cuba Free Press.

SANTA CLARA The Office of State Security (OSS) has released Juan Francisco Fernandez Gomez, a.k.a. "Junior" from confinement, pending a trial on terrorism charges. He is the dean or international coordinator of political prisoners. His release, August 7, is conditional. He awaits trial and has been banned from leaving the city where he lives.

On August 4, his attorney, Wilfredo Calderon, Havana, presented an appeal to the prosecutor at the Crimes Against State Security Ward, citing his client's poor health and age. Fernandez Gomez is 63.

He was confined at Villa Marista, the OSS General Headquarters, for 57 days in the hospital ward reserved for OSS in the Carlos J. Finlay hospital, in the capitals Marianao neighborhood.

The government opponent is being accused of terrorism in case No. 13 of '98. A co-defendant is Salvadoran citizen Otto Rodriguez Llerena. The latter was arrested in Cuba after he was said to have been found with explosives and detonators. The authorities charge that these implements were to be used in terrorist actions. According to the authorities, the Central American man brought with him the name, address, and telephone number of Fernandez Gomez.

Fernandez Bomez, a founder of the Cuban Committee Pro Human Rights in Villa Clara, was arrested last June 11 at his home, which was searched for two and a half hours.

By Héctor Trujillo Pis, Cuba Free Press.