Cuba Releases Canadian After 3 Years in Jail for Corruption and Tax Crimes

On February 21, 2015, Cuba released Cy Tokmakjian, a Canadian businessman who was imprisoned in Cuba on corruption and tax evasion charges for more than three years.A Cuban court sentenced Tokmakjian, 74, to 15 years in prison after his conviction.  In 2011, Cuba arrested him in an anti-graft initiative which included Cuban officials and foreign business executives from at least five countries. In September 2014, he was sentenced along with his firm managers Marco Puche and Claudio Vetere, who received shorter sentences (8 and 12 years respectively).  It is not known if the firm managers were also released.