FOIA Request to the U.S. Department of State
As part of this investigation into the U.S. government's payments of Miami journalists, who were producing inflammatory material about the Cuban Five during their trial and at the time of the jury deliberations, Liberation newspaper has sought documents regarding the U.S. government's payments to Miami journalists. Notably missing from the government's production was contractual material prior to November 1999.
The attorneys from the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund have now filed an appeal with the State Department demanding that it act on the Liberation newspaper request. The State Department is the parent agency for both the BBG and its predecessor agency, the U.S. Information Agency (USAI), which used to oversee Radio TV and Marti. The State Department has yet to produce a single document in response to Liberation's FOIA request. The missing material covers the critical period of January 1998 to June 2001, when the Cuban Five were convicted in a Miami courtroom.
The July 8 appeal states in part: "The release of this information at this time is critical. The Cuban Five were convicted and sentenced in December 2001 and are serving lengthy prison sentences. They are in the process of their final Habeas Corpus appeals at this moment in an attempt to have their convictions overturned or to win a new trial. In this interest of their right to seek a fair trial in U.S. courts, and for the public to have confidence in the U.S. justice system and its government's prosecutions, it is in the public interest and the absolute interests of justice to urgently make available relevant documents."
Below please find the entire appeal submitted by the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund to the U.S. Department of State.
