Seven months of illegal arrest in the Judicial Assistance Directorate of Managua have notably deteriorated the physical condition of the sports writer, blogger and political prisoner, Miguel Mendoza. “It is shocking to see it,” describes his brother Ramón Mendoza, who visited him this weekend in the cells of “the new Chipote.”
Over the weekend, the relatives of the political prisoners verified the persistence of the violations of their human rights in the fifth family visit in seven months, and the first carried out in a period of less than 30 days between one meeting and the other.
Miguel Mendoza arrested for commenting on social networks and denouncing the human rights crisis and repression, is accused of conspiring and commit alleged “undermining of national integrity.”
“Miguel is strong in spirit. He does not regret anything, because he has not done anything. No crime. He feels the support of the citizens, and asks for their prayers, ”says his brother.
Brother of Miguel Mendoza: “He speaks clearly in interrogations”
In almost seven months in prison, the renowned sports writer shared cells with political prisoners Lesther Alemán and Irvin Larios, but “he has been isolated for 16 days in a punishment cell.” It is a closed, dark cell, with only one window to pass food, says his older brother.
“Miguel speaks clearly to them (during the interrogations) that he has no crime and surely claims them, and that must be why they have him in a punishment cell,” he estimates.
Mendoza’s situation is similar to that of political prisoners Tamara Dávila, Dora María Téllez, Ana Margarita Vijil, and Suyén Barahona, who continue, in conditions of permanent isolation and incommunicado detention for more than 227 days.
“The interrogations are frequent, daily, day or night, they take them out of their cells with their heads down, as if they were criminals, and that continues to be the same with all prisoners.”
Despite the prison conditions and the psychological torture, “his principles are not broken by prison,” testifies his brother.
They demand freedom and an end to torture
The political trials are suspended indefinitely due to the guidelines of Daniel Ortega, while the suffering of prisoners of conscience, aggravated torture and human rights violations extends to the relatives of the prisoners.
The popular blogger completed this January 24 a total of 218 days without seeing his seven-year-old daughter, and 225 without seeing his mother, who is over 90 years old, and who “is very sick.”
“Our first demand is that they be released. That the psychological tortures that are sometimes harder than the physical ones cease. We do not want to have another visit, we want them to be with us, with their family”, he demands.
But while they are not released, Mendoza’s family asks for more flexibility so that they let him see his daughter, that they allow him to enter a blanket for the cold, access to food, that he can have an appointment with his lawyer and that the visits are periodic. as established by law.
