Cuban court sentences Salvadoran to death

HAVANA, March 23 -- (AFP) -- A provincial court has sentenced a Salvadoran man to death for setting off six bombs in the capital during the summer of 1997, Cuban media said Tuesday.

Raul Ernesto Cruz Leon, a Salvadoran national, was tried on terrorism charges in connection with the bombings of two Havana hotels in July 1997 and three hotels and a restaurant in September of that year.

An Italian tourist died in one of those attacks. Eleven people were injured including seven foreigners.

Cuba's Supreme Court was to review the sentence.

During the trial, prosecutors had argued that Cruz Leon was the paid trigger in an alleged bombing conspiracy masterminded by the Miami-based Cuban American National Foundation (CANF).

CANF has denied any involvement in the bombings, branding the allegations absurd.