Cuban agents dubbed heroes

Parliament in Havana has awarded five Cubans given long jail sentences in the United States for spying the distinction of "Heroes of the Republic".

At a special session, Cuban members of parliament said the five had fulfilled with dedication their mission of defending the fatherland.

The Cuban authorities admit the five were agents, but said they were not spying on the United States Government, just infiltrating terrorist groups among the Cuban exile community.

The Cubans denied accusations that any of the group were involved in the shooting down by the Cuban air force of two planes being flown close to the island by a militant Cuban exile group, Brothers to the Rescue, in 1996.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service