The justice of the Ortega regime sentenced the seven political prisoners, including three presidential candidates, who were found guilty of the alleged crime of “conspiracy to undermine national integrity to the detriment of the State of Nicaragua” to between eight and 13 years in prison. and society”, on February 23, after a seven-day trial.
The presidential candidates Juan Sebastián Chamorro, Félix Maradiaga, the political scientist José Pallais and the former president of the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (Cosep), José Adán Aguerri, were sentenced to 13 years in prison.
The members of the political council of the Blue and White National Unity (UNAB), Tamara Dávila and Violeta Granera They were sentenced to eight years in prison. and the presidential candidate, Arturo Cruz, to nine years of confinement. All were disqualified from running for public office, according to the reading of the sentence carried out this Thursday, March 3, at the Directorate of Judicial Assistance (DAJ), El Chipote.
In all cases, the request for punishment requested by the Prosecutor’s Office was fulfilled in the trial, which was in charge of the Ortega judge Félix Ernesto Salmerón Moreno, of the Fifth Criminal District Court of Judgment.
Political prisoners: “we are innocent”
After the marathon hearings, the seven political leaders convicted of alleged “conspiracy”They stated that they felt “peaceful” because they are “innocent” and “have never” requested sanctions or acted against the interests of Nicaragua. They were firm and demanded the release of all the political prisoners of the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.
During the first five trial hearings, the Prosecutor’s Office questioned 26 police officers, who participated in the arrests and raids on the homes of political prisoners. Among the evidence presented by the Prosecutor’s Office, they included publications related to the accused in unreliable digital media and conversations in a WhatsApp group, led by the Inter-American Dialogue investigator, Manuel Orozco.
According to the defense attorney, Mynor Curtis, the conversations in the WhatsApp group were based on comments about the situation in the country. In the videos that Chamorro came out with: “he commented on a sanction, but he did not ask for it. They did not take any video that asks for sanction. Asking for a sanction does not constitute that crime either. It is not the case. He never asked for sanctions,” Curtis said.
He added that the Prosecutor’s Office failed to demonstrate the commission of the crime by the accused. Chamorro assured: “I am at peace, I have faith, and hope because I know that God and Nicaraguans know that I am innocent.” For his part, Maradiaga pleaded “innocent of an unfair trial.”
According to attorney Curtis, Cruz confirmed that he has never asked for sanctions against Nicaraguaand explained that due to his work he has received criticism from both the Government and the population.
Aguerri pointed out that for 18 consecutive years he has worked for the country’s growth and “has never done anything against the nation.” “I want to emphasize that I am innocent and that I have never committed any crime,” Violeta Granera refuted the judge, according to a message published by her family.
“I’m innocent. My only crime has been exercising my right to defend rights and denounce injustices, said Dávila, from UNAB, after hearing the judge’s ruling.
Of the seven defendants, the only one who served as a witness was Dr. Pallais. For almost thirty minutes he explained that he has never done anything against Nicaragua.
“We have never gone to ask for sanctions, least of all from the OAS (Organization of American States), if the OAS cannot impose sanctions on any country,” the former deputy clarified.
They join a score of prisoners of conscience who were imprisoned in the latest hunt by the Ortega regime against civic and political leaders, for the sake of staying in power without legitimacy. Political prisoners have been subjected to precarious conditions and isolation.
Samantha Jirón is found guilty
The political prisoner, Samantha Jirón, was also found guilty of the crimes of “conspiracy to undermine national integrity to the detriment of the State of Nicaragua and society” and “propagation of false news” in a trial held in the courts headquarters of Managua, in charge of the judicial Melvin Vargas García, of the Seventh Criminal District Court of Judgment, this Wednesday, March 2.
The evidence presented by the Prosecutor’s Office was interviews that the young activist and member of the UNAB gave to international media on human rights issues, the socio-political crisis in Nicaragua and the covid-19 pandemic, in addition to WhatsApp chats, family members indicated. They also included the testimony of three police officers.
The Prosecutor’s Office requested a sentence of eight years in prison for Jirón, four for each crime.
