HAVANA - A Cuban court on Saturday sentenced US contractor Alan Gross to 15 years in prison for "acts against the independence or territorial integrity of the state."

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According to an official statement, Gross may appeal against the verdict, which reduced five years the prison term requested by prosecutors.

Gross was arrested on December 3, 2009, at a Havana airport on charges of providing satellite communication equipments to anti-government groups, but Washington said Gross is an employee of the "Development Alternatives company" and was helping Cuban Jews to communicate with Jews abroad.

But Adela Dworin, leader of the Cuban Jewish Community, said she had never met with Gross.

Cuban leader Raul Castro cited Gross case at the parliament as an "example of the US continuous aggressive policy against the island nation."