A protest for the release of five Cubans, known as the Miami Five, from US jails was held outside the US embassy in Dublin this morning.
Senator David Norris led the protest, which included Independent TDs Mr Tony Gregory and Mr Finian McGrath; Reid Law Professor at Dublin University Ms Ivana Bacik; and leading transplant surgeon Dr David Hickey.
The group placed themselves behind bars outside the embassy to highlight the plight of the five Cubans who are serving 18 years to life for espionage and murder.
It is claimed the Cubans were in fact trying to counteract the terrorist activities of Mr Luis Posada Cariles who has admitted to bombing Cuban hotels and discotheques in 1997. Mr Cariles was funded by the Cuban American National Foundation so as to carry out these attacks.
The five - Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero, Ramón Labañino, Fernando González, René González - have been placed in solitary confinement since for almost the past month and have been denied access to their lawyersw.
Amnesty International has written twice to the US attorney general, Mr John Ashcroft, but have received no reply.
The Irish campaign for justice for the "Miami Five" are calling on the US embassy to convey to the US prison authorities their demand to have these five men released immediately from solitary confinement.
They are also calling on the US media to report on the plight of the five.