Fernando referred to the current state of the case of his comrades Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino and Antonio Guerrero, who were arrested in 1998 and given unfair, harsh sentences in U.S. prisons for monitoring U.S.-based violent groups operating against Cuba. He said appeals filed four years ago by lawyers of the Cuban Five have not had any response by legal authorities.

Fernando and René González are back in Cuba after having served fully their sentences, handed down during a trial which was termed arbitrary by a panel of United Nations legal experts.

In the interview, Fernando said that he considers himself, along with René, Gerardo, Antonio and Ramón, as political prisoners held in the United States.

Fernando said that although they were not subject to physical aggression, they were mistreated psychologically, above all during 17 months when they were kept in solitary confinement under very restrictive conditions.

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