Trial is set in Finland for 6 Cuban athletes charged with rape (Update)
An oral trial closed to the press will be held next week in Finland in the case of six Cuban athletes detained there in early July, the Cuban daily Granma reported on Wednesday (24).
The two-paragraph report — titled “Information from the Cuban Volleyball Federation” — does not give details and says simply:
“In compliance with the penal process taking place in Finland against six Cuban athletes, the Cuban Volleyball Federation has learned of the beginning on next Monday, Aug. 29, of an oral trial that will be conducted behind closed doors. The Cuban Embassy in Finland and the Cuban Volleyball Federation continue to provide all required attention to the athletes and their relatives.”
According to the Finnish daily Aamulehti, the trial will begin in the city of Tampere at 9 a.m. Monday before three judges and is expected to last three days. “The case is being held in camera at the request of the plaintiff, an adult Finnish woman,” the paper says.
On Aug. 19, the newspaper The Helsinki Times gave more details, reporting that “six members of the national volleyball team of Cuba have been charged with aggravated rape over an incident that took place in Tampere on 2 July, 2016.” Tampere is northwest of Helsinki.
The newspaper attributes the disclosure to prosecutor Leena Koivuniemi of the District Court of Pirkanmaa, the region where Tampere is situated.
The chief investigator at the arraignment was Police Superintendent Joni Lansipuro; the defense attorney was Marko Virta.
The six Cubans were detained on suspicion of the attack on July 5. All have denied the charge. They were identified by the newspaper Ilta-Sanomat as Osmany Santiago Uriarte Mestre, Abrahan Alfonso Gavil·n, Ricardo Norberto Calvo Manzano, Rolando Cepeda Abreu, Luis Tomás Sosa Sierra and Dariel Albo Miranda.
“No further details of the case [District Court No. R16-4498] will be disclosed at this time,” Koivuniemi told the press. The Times goes on to say that “as many as eight members of the volleyball team were initially brought into custody in connection with the incident, but two of them were released after it was determined that they had no knowledge of the alleged offense.”
“Earlier reports in the media indicate that the offense took place at a centrally located hotel [the Ilves Hotel] as the team were participating in an event of the Volleyball World League in Tampere,” The Times says.
The remaining players in the national team went on to compete in the just-ended Rio Olympics but lost all five games.
