The prosecution in the case against Ramon Fidel Basulto Garcia, who is accused of murder and piracy, has requested that he be sentenced to death. The date of his trial is not yet known, but will take place in the Chamber of Crimes against State Security of the People’s Provincial Court for the City of Havana. He was one of a group of eight people arrested in Havana in connection with the attempted hi-jacking of a boat called the “Baragua” on 4 August 1994. A policeman, Gabriel Lamoth Caballero, reportedly died while attempting to prevent the hi-jacking. Ramon Fidel Basulto Garcia was held for almost 70 days in the headquarters of the Department of State Security, known as Villa Marista. He was then reportedly transferred to the Carlos J Finlay Military Hospital. A defence lawyer has been appointed but it is not yet clear whether he has been able to have direct access to his client.
