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The espionage trial of Alan Gross began Friday, marking a new low for US-Cuban relations despite hopes for improvement under US President Barack Obama. Cuban prosecutors announced in February that it would seek 20 years in prison for the 61-year-old businessman, who was arrested in December 2009 while working in Cuba as a State Department contractor. His trial for "acts against the independence and territorial integrity of the state" is set to last several days, and there is little doubt among Havana diplomats that the court will meet the prosecution's demands. US consular authorities, relatives of the accused and his family's lawyers are expected to be present during the court sessions, Cuban officials said in announcing the trial date. "We hope he receives a fair trial and is allowed to come home. What he did is not a crime," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said at the time. A spokesman for the US Interests Section in Havana told AFP that the case would be heard in "complete privacy." Gross was arrested December 3, 2009 and accused of distributing "sophisticated communication media" to opponents. AFP |
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