Mario Diaz-Balart Marks 5th Anniversary of Castro Regime Imprisoning Alan Gross

Marking the fifth anniversary of Castro regimes imprisonment of Alan Gross on espionage charges for helping the Cuban Jewish community get Internet access, U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., noted the personal impact of his imprisonment on Wednesday.

"Today marks five years that Alan Gross has been unjustifiably held in a Cuban prison for the so-called crime of helping Cuba's Jewish community connect to the Internet, Diaz-Balart said on Wednesday. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides that everyone has the right to seek and receive information from any available source, yet the Castro regime sentenced Alan Gross to 15 years in prison for his efforts to help the Cuban people access information. During Mr. Grosss unjust imprisonment, his family has been forced to confront many significant moments without their husband, father, and son by their side, like his daughters marriage or her battle with breast cancer. The regime also deprived him of attending his mother's funeral when she passed away earlier this year.

Sadly, the Castro dictatorship has a long history of brutality, imprisoning the innocent, and tearing apart families during its unrelenting campaign to oppress the Cuban people, Diaz-Balart continued. Alan Gross's unjustifiable imprisonment is a tragic reminder of the moral depravity of the Castro regime, which has no qualms about attempting to use an innocent American with ailing health as a pawn.

My prayers are with Alan Gross and his family as they endure this grim anniversary and begin another day of separation, Diaz-Balart said in conclusion. I urge President Obama to stop appeasing the Castros' terrorist regime with countless concessions and instead strengthen sanctions against the brutal dictatorship in Cuba.