René González is granted permission to visit brother in Cuba
In a massive victory for Miami Five campaign supporters, Rene Gonzalez has just received permission to travel to Cuba for two weeks to visit his critically ill brother Roberto in hospital.
The US Justice Department had opposed his request in a submission to the court last week. However, the court chose to grant permission Monday 19 March on the condition that he returns to the US to continue his parole with two weeks of his departure.
A huge thank you to everyone who took the campaign action and wrote the the US government urging that this permission be granted.
This is a great victory for campaigners for the Five all around the world, but we must continue and redouble our efforts until Rene and his four comrades are allowed to return home for good.
Read the full ruling from the court below:
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
CASE NO. 98-00721-CR-LENARD
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff,
v.
RENE GONZALEZ,
Defendant.
ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO TRAVEL (D.E. 1821)
THIS CAUSE is before the Court on Defendant Rene Gonzalez’s Motion to Travel (D.E. 1821), filed February 24, 2012. The United States filed its Response (D.E. 1822) on March 12, 2012.
Defendant filed his Reply (D.E. 1824) on March 15, 2012. Having reviewed the Motion, Response, Reply, related pleadings, and the record, the Court finds as follows. Defendant is currently serving a term of supervised release stemming from his convictions in the above-captioned matter. Defendant requests leave to travel to Cuba for two weeks in order to visit his brother, Roberto Gonzalez, who is in the terminal stages of lung and brain cancer.
In light of the circumstances, it is hereby ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that Defendant’s Motion to Travel (D.E. 1821) is GRANTED. Defendant may travel to Cuba to visit his brother, subject to the following conditions:
1.) Defendant must obtain all necessary permission, licenses, and/or clearance from the United States Government, including the Department of State and Department of the Treasury, separate and apart from this Order.
2.) Defendant shall submit to his probation officer a written, detailed itinerary of his travel, including flight numbers, routing, location, and contact information, as well as copies of all necessary clearances and licenses obtained from the United States Government.
3.) During his absence from the district of supervision, Defendant shall report telephonically to his probation officer as directed by his probation officer.
4.)The terms of Defendant’s supervised release shall remain otherwise unchanged, and Defendant must return to the United States and to the district of his supervised release within two weeks of departure.
DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers at Miami, Florida, this 19th day of March,
________________________________
JOAN A. LENARD UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
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