The young opposition Samantha Jirón and the economist Irving Larios were sentenced to eight and thirteen years in prison, respectively, for the alleged crimes of “conspiracy” and “spread of fake news”. Under the same false charges, the The regime already has more than 30 sentenced political prisoners, out of forty citizens detained in the middle of last year.
The sentence against Larios was imposed by Ortega Judge Nancy Aguirre Gudiel, of the Tenth Criminal District Court of Managua. The reading of the sentence and the trial —carried out on February 28— were carried out in the prison facilities of El Chipote.
Among the evidence presented by the Prosecutor’s Office against the economist are publications on social networks referring to the covid-19 pandemic and the country’s socio-political situation, which he had shared on his personal Facebook account. Likewise, the Public Ministry brought four policemen who acted as witnesses in the case.
Larios, who is also a member of the Articulation of Social Movements, had his right to communicate with his defense violated throughout the judicial process, including during the trial, confirmed CONFIDENTIAL.
In his speech at the trial, Larios said: “they are condemning me for working for social justice and for a better world, where you can live in a dignified way. Nicaragua needs democracy. I am a defender of human rights, it is the meaning of my life,” he said. before the Ortega court.
Hearing without your lawyer
The Seventh Judge of the Criminal District of Managua, Melvin Leopoldo Vargas García, who was in charge of the case of Jirón -22 years old-, imposed a sentence of four years for the crime of conspiracy to undermine national integrity, and four years for spreading false news, detailed Carolina Jirón, Samantha’s mother.
The judge also imposed a fine of 30,000 córdobas (about 843 dollars) on Jirón, the youngest of the 46 people detained in the framework of the general elections last November, in which President Daniel Ortega was re-elected for his fifth term. , fourth in a row and second along with his wife, Rosario Murillo, as vice president, with their main contenders in prison.
“Neither the lawyer nor the family was notified that the hearing would take place (held on Monday), so she was alone in the reading of the sentence”explained the mother.
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 young woman, who is imprisoned in the women’s prison “The hope”was a member of the opposition Blue and White National Unity, was exiled in Costa Rica after the demonstrations against the Ortega government that broke out in April 2018, returned to Nicaragua in 2020 and was arrested a year later.
*With information from Efe
