Member of the Cuban Five legal team has died

Roberto González, René's brother and member of the Cuban Five
legal team, has died

It is with great sadness that we convey the news that Roberto González, René's brother and a member of the Cuban Five legal team, died yesterday in Havana. The National Committee to Free the Cuban Five extends our sympathy and solidarity to René and his entire family at this sad time.

René's lawyers have now re-filed a motion (linked below), requesting that René, who is currently serving an unjust 3-year probation in Florida, be allowed to return to Cuba and serve the rest of his probation period there, with his family. We call on the U.S. government to grant this motion, in the interest of justice and human decency.

The following article announcing the death is taken from Prensa Latina:
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Roberto González, a member of the Cuban Five legal team and brother of one of the Five, René González, died yesterday in Havana, a victim of cancer.

According to a note from the National Television News, the lawyer had dedicated the last years of his life to the cause of freeing his brother, as well as his comarades Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González, Gerardo Hernández and Ramon Labañino.

The antiterrorists, imprisoned for preventing actions against Cuba by violent radical groups in Florida, were condemned to sentences from double life to 15 years, during a judicial process criticized internationally for the occurrence of numerous irregularities.

This March, Roberto González received the title of honorary member of the National Lawyers Guild, the largest and oldest legal organization in the United States.

The honor was offered as a recognition of his contributions as a defender of human rights and for all his professional efforts in the case of the Five (as the antiterrorists are known around the world).

His unwavering commitment to his brother is emblematic of the basic principles of the Guild, that stipulates that human rights are more sacred than private interests, and we are proud to honor him, said Heidi Boghosian, the executive director of the NLG, at the time.

René González got out of prison in October 2011, but is obliged to complete three years of parole in the U.S. before returning to Cuba.

During his brother's illness, René was authorized to go to Cuba for a family visit last March, a stay for which he had to meet a group of conditions like delivering the detailed itinerary of the trip, his location in Cuba, and telephone reports to his probation officer.

According to Roberto's will, his remains will be cremated and veiled in a family ceremony.

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