NICA NEWS ROUNDUP (MARCH 19) – ABUSES CONTINUE

335 DAYS

March 19, 2019

Nicaragua

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In this edition

Abuses Continue Against Private Citizens

The OrMu administration continues its abuses against private citizens, via the police forces and public officials within the judiciary. Marlon Powell, a journalist from Masaya, Henry Baez, brother in law of Medardo Mairena, and Yonarqui Martinez, a human rights lawyer representing several political prisoners, are some of latest victims.

The Orteguista Police took Marlon Powell on March 7. However, no one really knew where he was until March 16, when the police transported over 100 protesters to the New Chipote. While in custody, the protesters could hear Powell’s pleas for help. According to Max Jerez, of the Alianza Civica, Powell “cried for help and said he had been held for ten days, isolated, naked, and forced to stand up” in the punishment cell of the new Chipote. Powell, who is a radio journalist, criticized OrMu’s repressive actions in Masaya. He was forced into hiding, but was found in a security house in San Judas. He has yet to come before a judge. Therefore, his detention is considered a kidnapping, as there are no formal charges against him.

Henry Baez was grabbed as he entered the country from Costa Rica. According to family members, there is no reason to charge him with anything, as Mr. Baez was not in Nicaragua during the protests of 2018. Mr. Baez has lived in Costa Rica for over 20 years and is a legal resident there. His whereabouts are still unknown.

Yonarqui Martinez represents Byron Estrada, Levis Rugama, Nahiroby Olivas, the Lesage brothers, and Yubrank Suazo, among others. Today, Martinez was summoned before Judge Henry Morales in a case brought by Fabiola Baez. Baez, who works for the judiciary, is said to be part of the sandinista infrastructure within the court system. This infrastructure includes the Comites de Liderazgo Sandinista (CLS), a partisan structure that operates in every public institution. CLS’ are responsible for mobilizing public employees in order to carry out partisan tasks, such as public picketing at the rotundas of Managua (aka. rotondear).

Henry Morales is the judge who oversaw the case against Medardo Mairena.

In an interview with local media, Martinez described the case against her as a political vendetta aimed at currying favor with higher ups within the courts. Baez is accusing Martinez of theft.

[Baez] has singled me out. She says that the MRS pays me and that I have money. I think that I won’t be judged as an ordinary person; I’ll be judged politically because [Baez] wants to pressure me to abandon my work, in order to curry favor from functionaries within the judiciary.

Judge Morales, after reviewing the case, decided to halt the proceedings on technical grounds.

Martinez would not be the first person with a visible profile to be accused of a common crime. The same tactic was applied in the Irlanda Jerez case. Jerez was one of the organizers of the protests at the Mercado Oriental; she was grabbed off the street, taken to El Chipote, and charged with fraud, and sentenced to five years.  Even though this is a common crime, OrMu’s propaganda machine media, like Radio Ya, have characterized Jerez as a coup monger.

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OAS Sets Conditions

Secretary General Luis Almagro of the OAS has stated that they will participate as “witnesses and international companions” in the negotiations between the OrMu administration and the Alianza, but only if the government releases “all persons that the Interamerican Human Rights Commission has identified as political prisoners.”  Almagro communicated this condition to OrMu’s Foreign Ministry via letter.

Today, Executive Secretary Paulo Abrao, of the Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) reiterated Almagro’s message during his remarks to the UN’s Human Rights’ Council. Abrao called on “all democratic forces and nations to support the Secretary General’s request, as [the release of political prisoners] is an essential condition for a legitimate dialogue.”

According to IACHR, over 640 people are prisoners of conscience in OrMu’s penitentiary system.

 

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