Cuba Will Punish Volleyball Players Suspected of Rape in Finland
HAVANA TIMES — The Cuban Volleyball Federation said today that it will take action against six players of the national team who are detained in Finland, accused of allegedly raping a woman.
“We will take the measures that correspond to behavior unfit with the ethics and principles that we have been taught,” said the Cuban Volleyball Federation in a statement broadcast on local television.
The players detained in Finland are Osmany Santiago Uriarte Mestre, Abrahan Alfonso Gavilan, Norberto Ricardo Calvo Manzano, Rolando Cepeda Abreu, Luis Sosa Tomas Sierra and Dariel Albo Miranda.
Cuban sports officials pointed out that “the investigation continues in order to have all the details and learn the degree of participation of each of them.”
The events allegedly took place at the Tampere hotel where the Cuban team was staying, according to the Finnish press.
The Cuban Volleyball Federation statement said that “preliminary information attributes participation in acts totally out of character with the honesty and respect that govern our sport and society that we defend since January 1959”.
Volleyball is the only team sport in which the Cuba is qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
“Faith” in a legal system. Such naivete if true. The British don’t seem to have such blanket trust, witness Brixit and efforts to hold the government liable for being sycophants to George Bush’s illegal and murderously wrong Iraq war.
My opinion on this issue is formed by finding information that suggests it was a political prosecution at least by the primary woman. Further I don’t rely on Google, just a source among many and my opinion that the US government is capable of influencing Sweden among other countries is based on years of evidence. I am sure that Sweden is comparatively independent, but not immune to US pressures. And Swedish courts can not protect anyone from the US if the US forces decide it is in US national interests to act .
So you disagree with zcuba on this matter?
See my response to Walter Teague above.
Walter, the British Courts up to and including the Appeal Court considered whether there was sufficient cause to extradite Mr. Assange to Sweden to answer the charges made by the Swedish legal system against him. After numerous hearings in London at all of which Mr. Assange was legally represented, it was decided that there was cause to extradite him in accordance with the agreement existing between Sweden and the UK.
It was at that stage that Mr. Assange decided to break British law and seek refuge in the Embassy of Equador in London, to which President Correa agreed.
The guilt or otherwise of Mr,.Assange is a matter for the Swedish Courts to decide, not for you or I. Sweden has a pretty sound international reputation as a having a sound legal system. If the accusers are incorrect, the courts will so find.
I find no evidence to suggest that the British Courts or those of Sweden can be manipulated by the US Government, although there may be US citizens with such conceit.
This is not a political matter, it is a legal one and i for one have more faith in the British legal system to properly assess the case, than in your or my opinions – especially if based upon Google.
As Mr. Reagan would say, “There you go again.” You can only get away with this stuff for so long.
“Nuts” might be the right word.
Carlyle MacDuff, if you do even a brief Google search you will find that the two women who accused Julian Assange are at least questionable. And clearly Assange has been targeted by the US government. At first the two woman voluntarily had and bragged about having relations with Assange. Only later they met and decided to submit charges under Sweden’s very strict laws. Since then information has come out that suggests they may have had other political and personal motivations. For example one of the women has been an active supporter and fund raiser for the Women In White group. Plus her online work as a campus activist also suggests various personal issues.
Certainly, Julian Assange was personally and politically irresponsible to allow himself to be involved with these women. A person in his public and important political position should be more careful about the risks he takes.
As to the guilt whether moral or legal of these Cuban athletes, I think we should wait for the facts to come out. In the case of Assange, we know he was targeted by the US government, in this case, we don’t know yet.
Are you nuts? Conspiracy theories based on that both countries are members of ALBA/CELAC, these are different cases.
It reminds one that Julian Assange of Wikileaks has bee n holed up under the protection of the Equador Embassy in London for over three years because following detailed and prolonged hearings, the British Courts which decided that he should be extradited to Sweden where he faces sexual charges.
Is there to be a difference between the level of justice for Mr. Assange who is politically valuable to Equador as a member like Cuba, of both ALBA and CELAC and Cuban volleyball players?