Russian Nobel
laureate for freedom for the Five
THE winner of the 2000 Nobel Prize for Physics,
Zhores Alferov, affirmed on Wednesday, May 3 that
the battle to free the five Cubans imprisoned in the
United States for combating terrorism is a difficult
one, but will triumph because it is just.
During a get-together with students at the
University of Havana, the Russian scientist spoke
out in favor of the release of Antonio Guerrero,
Fernando González, René González, Ramón Labañino y
Gerardo Hernández.
The Five were arrested and have been imprisoned
for almost eight years for defending their country
from acts of terrorism by counterrevolutionary
groups based in Miami.
Alferov expressed interest in the details of the
case, including the arbitrary treatment and physical
and psychological pressures to which these Cuban
fighters are being subjected, including restrictions
on visits by their families.
The eminent scientist said he opposed the
imprisonment of any innocent person, which is why he
signed the open letter to the U.S. Attorney General
calling on him to comply with a ruling by the
Atlanta Court of Appeals that overturned the
convictions of the Five and ordered a new trial.
He expressed hope that the case will be resolved
in spite of its complexity and Washington’s
hostility toward Cuba.
Irma González, daughter of René, and Laura
Fernández, niece of Fernando, students of psychology
and law, respectively, explained aspects of the
legal process, which is being considered by the full
11th Court of Appeals in Atlanta.
Student leaders at the University of Havana who
were at the exchange affirmed that to fight for the
Five is to defend the values that Cuban youth are
taught.
Now 76, Alferov won the Nobel Prize for Physics
in 2000 because of his revolutionary contribution to
the development of high-speed semi-conductors during
the 1960s and 70s.
This scientist is a member of the Russian
Parliament’s Committee on Science and Education and
director of the Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute of
the Russian Academy of Science.
Alferov was the eighth Nobel laureate to sign the
document sent to the U.S. Attorney General calling
for freedom for the Five; the others included
Desmond Tutu and Nadine Gordimer of South Africa;
Rigoberta Menchú of Guatemala; Adolfo Pérez Esquivel
of Argentina; Wole Soyinka of Nigeria; José Saramago
of Portugal, and Gunter Grass, Germany. (PL)
