Jimmy Carter meets with Jewish, Catholic leaders in Cuba

Former US President Jimmy Carter has met with Jewish and other religious leaders in Cuba as he began a trip to discuss economic policies and ways to improve Washington-Havana relations, which tense over the conviction and imprisonment of the Jewish American government contractor Alan Gross in Havanna. Carter met on Monday with leaders of Cuba's Jewish community, but he did not say whether the case of Gross was discussed. Gross was arrested in December 2009 while working on a USAID-backed democracy-building project which he said was meant to help improve internet access for that community.

Adela Dworin, head of Cuba's Jewish community said the Gross case did not come up during Carter's visit and their conversation focused on the Jewish community in Cuba. "We did not talk about politics," Dworin said. Jewish leaders here have denied dealing with Gross. He was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison earlier this month for crimes against the state for the illegal importation of telecommunications equipment into the country.

Carter also for about an hour with Catholic Cardinal Jaime Ortega, who helped broker a deal under which Cuba recently freed the last 52 of 75 dissidents who were arrested in a 2003 crackdown and given lengthy prison sentences on charges such as treason. The government considers dissidents to be common criminals financed by the United States. Many of those freed went into exile, but some have remained on the island and vow to continue their activities. Dozens of other prisoners convicted of violent but politically motivated crimes have also been released.

"Mr. Carter expressed to Cardinal Ortega his pleasure at the process of dialogue that the Church in Cuba conducts with the government of President Raul Castro Ruz, one the results of which has been the release of more than 100 Cuban prisoners," the Archdiocese of Havana said in a statement.