Hillary Clinton & Harley Lappin: two people who can stop the torture of Gerardo
Hernández now
This picture matches the description of the "hole" where Gerardo Hernández is
being held
For 12 days Gerardo Hernández Nordelo Has Been Held In The Hole At Victorville
Prison Without Committing Any Infraction
Urgent Communiqué from the International Committee to Free the Cuban Five
On July 21st, without committing any infraction, Gerardo Hernández was taken to
the hole in the federal prison at Victorville, California. The hole is an
inhumane windowless space of 7 x 3 feet reserved for prisoners who the prison
authorities, for whatever reason, want to isolate. Gerardo is sharing this
small space with another prisoner and there is very little ventilation because
the air comes from just a small vent on the top of a wall. Temperatures in
Victorville are running as high as 105 degrees now and in the space of this
tiny cell it is around 95 degrees. He is not allowed to take a shower and is
being taken outside in a cage only one hour every other day. Gerardo has been
seen by his sister Isabel through a glass with a phone.
Although Gerardo is still young, 12 years of living in high security
penitentiaries has taken its toll and recently Gerardo began experiencing some
health issues including high blood pressure. In April he requested a medical
appointment and finally on July 20, three months later, he was seen by a
doctor. Currently there is a bacterium that is circulating through the prison
with some of those cases being serious. The doctor had prescribed a blood test
for Gerardo but instead of receiving that he was abruptly taken to the hole the
next day.
This new harassment against Gerardo takes place at a critical time when he is
preparing his Habeas Corpus appeal, presented to the courts in June. It is
alarming that this is the third time that Gerardo has found himself in the hole
while preparing for an appeal.
The violations against Gerardo are endless and must stop immediately. During 12
years he has been denied the basic right to receive visits from his wife
Adriana. Gerardo, like his four brothers, is innocent and the United States
knows that his only crime was to defend his country against terrorist attacks.
Instead of freeing them and sending them back to their homeland and their
families, as has been demanded by the Cuban people, 10 Nobel Prize and
thousands of people from all over the world, the Obama Administration has
picked up where Bush left off by punishing Gerardo at every turn.
Along with the Cuban people and the international community we hold the U.S
.government responsible for the life and physical integrity of Gerardo.
It is very important for every supporter of the Cuban Five and all justice
loving people who receive this message to call, fax, mail or e-mail immediately
to the numbers and addresses below to demand that Gerardo be:
Returned immediately to the general population
Receive urgent medical attention
Allowed visits by his wife Adriana Pérez
Given space and respect as he prepares for his appeals
US State Department
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
Phone Number: 1-202-647-4000
Fax Number: 1-202-647-2283
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Director Harley G. Lappin
320 First St., NW,
Washington, DC 20534
Phone Number: 202-307-3198.
E-mail: i...@bop.gov
The most potent weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.
Steven Biko
