Sentence of Cuban journalist expected

HAVANA TIMES, Jan 23 — The trial of Granma news correspondent Jose Antonio Torres is in the final stage of preparation, with the prosecution having asked for more than 10 years in prison for alleged corruption, revealed the Café Fuerte website today.

The journalist has been in prison since March of last year without the reasons for his arrest being specified. His detention came seven months after an article of his was published alleging errors in the construction and planning the rehabilitation of the Santiago de Cuba aqueduct, which was being overseen directly by Ramiro Valdes, vice president of the Council of State.

The exact location of Torres is unknown, although some sources of Café Fuerte indicate that he has been imprisoned in Guantanamo province. The journalist is also under investigation at Villa Marista, the headquarters of the “Department of State Security” in Havana.

Torres had been initially charged with being an “agent of the CIA” and leaking confidential information abroad, but apparently the prosecutor’s request will focus on corruption charges.