• Submitted by: lena campos
• Society
• 10 / 02 / 2012

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Italy's deputy ambassador to Cuba, Pietro De Martin, told TgCom24 that "should the violation of the immigration status be confirmed, the sanction will be expulsion and repatriation", commenting the affair of the four Italian reporters arrested in Cuba for having a tourist visa, rather than a working visa.

"We expect a decision to be taken over the next few hours, I don't think it will require more time", the diplomat added, whilst settling doubts "on the type of procedure that is underway, since no trial was ever mentioned; it is simply an administrative procedure, not a judicial one".

  De Martin explained that the reporters "landed in Cuba with a tourist visa, but they were carrying out job-related activities. The immigration bureau of Camaguey, a city 600 km from Havana, holds jurisdiction and the decision is up to the migration authority. Considering the several types of visas existing, the migration authorities reckon there should be a close link between the visa and the activity being carried out". De Martin also pointed out that similar episodes have already happened. "As soon as the embassy was informed, we immediately got going to ascertain the piece of news and the violation of the immigration status too. Usually, in situations such as this one, no further notifications follow the first one", he said. . .

Source Agi.it