The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) granted precautionary measures in favor of Lázaro Ernesto Rivas Pérez, who was sentenced to seven years in prison. The organization considers that the political prisoner “is in a serious and urgent situation of risk of irreparable damage to his rights in Nicaragua.”
Rivas has been imprisoned since July 29, 2020 at the Juigalpa Penitentiary Center, Chontales, for the alleged crime of aggravated robbery. The IACHR denounces that Rivas remains in “inadequate conditions. In addition, he suffers from serious illnesses and does not receive necessary medical care or medication to treat the effects on his health. Likewise, he would be subject to mistreatment, harassment and siege by prison officers », details the statement issued on March 21.
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According to the regime’s Prosecutor’s Office, the opponent was convicted of allegedly stealing a hat, the same accusation that his brother, Ulises Rivas, who is in exile, had been charged with. The opponent has been imprisoned for one year and seven months.
“After analyzing the allegations of fact and law provided by the parties, the IACHR considered that Lázaro Ernesto Rivas Pérez is in a situation of risk,” adds the agency.
Given this, they ask the dictatorship to “adopt the necessary measures to protect the rights to life, personal integrity and health of Lázaro Ernesto Rivas Pérez. Adopt the necessary measures to ensure that the conditions of detention of Mr. Lázaro Ernesto Rivas Pérez are compatible with the applicable international standards on the matter.”
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Among these measures, the document highlights “it is guaranteed that he is not subjected to mistreatment, harassment and siege within the penitentiary center, an impartial and specialized medical assessment of his current health situation is carried out immediately; The necessary treatments and medications are granted to the proposed beneficiary prescribed by the competent health personnel.
The state of health of the political prisoner is not the best, given that he has blood pressure and low back pain problems without receiving proper medical attention in the prison where the Ortega-Murillo regime keeps him detained.
