In commemoration of International Women’s Day, the former political Samantha Jiron said to Article 66 who receives this date with “great joy because my friends and feminist women will not need to take my photograph to demand my freedom.”
The 23-year-old opposition member, originally from the city of Masaya, was imprisoned for 15 months in the Women’s Penitentiary System, La Esperanza, in Tipitapa. She was sentenced to eight years in prison and to pay a fine of 30,000 córdobas for the alleged crimes of “conspiracy to undermine national integrity” and for charges pursuant to the Cybercrime Law.
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On this commemorative date, the opponent emphasized that this March 8 is a day to commemorate and demand Justice. “It is a very happy day for us —the political prisoners— because we are free and we are going to continue to be the voice of the women who need our support so that their rights are respected.”
“We will continue fighting for ourselves as well, because day by day is the fight for life, equality and justice for women,” added the youngest former political kidnapper of the Ortega regime.
Referring to the exile she suffered on February 9 along with 221 other former political prisoners, Jirón said that the fact of having been declared stateless by the Ortega justice does not limit her from continuing to demand justice.
“This confirms with much more reason that we have to continue demanding justice, the freedom of Nicaragua, so that other women and girls do not go through what we —the former political prisoners— went through, and thus Nicaragua can be a free country, where As women we can walk and we can express ourselves without fear of being imprisoned, exiled or exiled,” she said.
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As to Martha Candelaria Rivas Hernandez, The only political prisoner who is still a prisoner of the Ortega y Murillo regime, the political activist indicated that they will continue to demand her release, “because she deserves to be free, because her detention is totally illegal.”
He affirmed that the demand for justice will continue, because we are clear that —the dictator— Ortega is not going to leave power and he is not going to respect human rights or democracy in Nicaragua.”
He will receive an award for Justice and Democracy
Samanta Jirón and another group of released political prisoners will receive this Thursday, March 9, the Women’s Global Institute of George Washington University’s Champions of Justice award.
The Institute grants this prize to Defenders of Justice and Democracy, within the framework of the tenth anniversary of its foundation, and this year it will deliver it to the opponents exiled by the Nicaraguan regime.
«The award is for all women released from political prison for the fight for justice and democracy and I can say that I dedicate it especially to my mother —Carolina Jirón— because she has always been by my side and has never abandoned me; She has always fought for me, she is without a doubt a unique mother, an incredible, extraordinary woman, with great strength and an example of resilience and resistance, “said the released politician.
“I also dedicate this award to all the women who are in Nicaragua, others in exile, who have fought and who continue their fight for that country we dream of,” she added.
Nicaragua has registered eight femicides so far in 2023, according to the feminist organization Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir, in addition, the lack of belligerence of the government of Daniel Ortega against the perpetrators of the crimes has been denounced, and it has been accused rather of not respecting the rights of women.
