After an initial delay that was being questioned by their lawyer, three men ordered released from prison in Grenada for their part in a 1983 coup are now free. The judge hearing the case, Justice Francis Belle of Barbados, on Wednesday morning ordered the immediate release of Christopher Stroude, Lester Redhead and Cecil Prime. They were among 17 people sentenced to death for their part in the 1983 coup and murder of then prime minister Maurice Bishop and several other members of his cabinet. But up to mid-afternoon their attorneys were still waiting for them to emerge from custody, prompting Ruggles Ferguson one of the defence attorneys representing the 13 people who are being re-sentenced as ordered by the British Privy Council, to threaten action against the authorities. The three were eventually set free shortly before 5pm. During the re-sentencing trial, the prosecution had indicated that there had been little evidence against Prime, Stroud, and Redhead to identify them as part of the 1983 executions. While three of the thirteen have been released, the others have been resentenced for up to 40 years in prison - 35 years of which most of them have already served. Two others will have a review on health grounds in the next few months. 1983 reviewed Justice Belle delivered his judgement to a packed court. The BBC correspondent in court said that gasps were heard when the judgement was delivered. A written judgement is to be delivered in two weeks time. The prosecution had asked for life imprisonment for the men convicted of the 1983 murder of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop, four cabinet ministers, and two others. They were convicted and sentenced to death in 1986, but their sentences were commuted to life imprisonment in 1991. In February of this year, the Privy Council ordered that they be re-sentenced. Decision time Defence and state lawyers wrapped up their submissions on Tuesday and high court judge Francis Belle announced he will deliver his decision in point form starting at 10am (eastern Caribbean time) on Wednesday. Justice Belle, whose suitability in presiding over the case was challenged early in the hearing, said his oral submission will be followed by a final written judgement to the Grenada Supreme court within two weeks. Former Trinidad and Tobago Attorney General Ramesh Maharaj concluded the State's submission by indicating that this is a serious case which requires severe punishment for the majority of defendants. However defense lawyer Edward Fitzgerald QC asked the court to impose a fixed term sentence in the case of each of the defendants, and a fixed term sentence that allows for their release. Reprinted from bbccaribbean.com