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US Supreme Court refuses to hear Miami Five appeal |
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Tuesday, 16 June 2009 00:00 |
In a snub to 49 Irish TDs and Senators and to former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, along with hundreds of international lawyers, academics, politicians and thousands of human rights defenders from all across the globe, the US Supreme Court has declined to hear the appeal of the Miami Five. It also declined to give reasons for its decision.
The move has been welcomed by the Obama administration which took the unusual step of issuing a direct “request” to the court not to grant a hearing (the membership of the Supreme Court is appointed by the US President).
Having now exhausted all legal options in the USA, the case moves firmly into the court of international public opinion.
“The final word in the case of the Cuban Five rests with you, our sisters and brothers of Cuba, the United States and the whole world, who throughout all these years have been our principal source of encouragement. Our hopes are not placed in any court. Ten years are more than enough to have cured us of any such naïve notion.”
Gerardo Hernández Nordelo
Victorville Federal Prison, California
September, 2008
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