Cuba: Health of jailed American Alan Gross is "normal"

Cuba: Health of jailed American Alan Gross is "normal"
HAVANA | Sat Jun 16, 2012 1:15am EDT

(Reuters) - Cuba on Friday disputed charges that jailed American
contractor Alan Gross is in declining health and demanded an end to what
it called a "campaign of fabrications" implying that he is being mistreated.

The government issued a statement in response to allegations by his
lawyer and the U.S. government that Gross, 63, was suffering from a
variety of worsening conditions about which the Cubans were withholding
information.

"Mr. Alan Gross' health is normal. He has chronic conditions typical of
someone his age, and is being properly treated for them," the statement
said.

"He is eating healthy, balanced meals. His general state of good health
can be seen by the fact that he is maintaining a considerable exercise
program," it continued.

On Thursday Gross's lawyer Peter Kahn said his client had a mass on his
back shoulder and difficulty walking because of a bad hip, and that Cuba
had not provided thorough medical reports.

Also on Thursday, the U.S. State Department said it was extremely
concerned about Gross' physical decline and worsening state of depression.

Gross, jailed in Cuba since December 2009, is serving a 15-year sentence
for illegally providing Internet equipment and service to Cuban Jewish
groups under a U.S. program promoting political change that the Cuban
government considers subversive.

His arrest stalled a brief period of progress in U.S.-Cuba relations
that have been mostly bad since Cuba's 1959 revolution that put Fidel
Castro in power and turned the island communist.

Cuba said in its statement that it regularly provided confidential
health reports to the U.S. government and the Gross family, but
threatened to "publish abundant information" on his condition if the
"distortions" about his health continue.

"Cuba demands that this campaign of fabrications ceases," the statement
said.

It appeared to say that things could be worse by pointing out that Gross
is being held in a military hospital instead of a prison "not because
his health requires it, but to ensure for him the best conditions."

The Cuban government has refused requests for Gross to be allowed to
return to the United States to visit his 90-year-old mother, who has
lung cancer. His daughter also has cancer.

(Reporting by Jeff Franks; Editing by Kevin Gray and Xavier Briand)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/16/us-cuba-usa-contractor-idUSBRE85E1JQ20120616