The human rights defense attorney José Antonio López filed this Thursday, April 28, an appeal in favor of the political prisoners Moises David Salinas Paz Y Ruben Araldo Manzanares Menaoriginally from New Guinea.
Both opponents were sentenced on March 21 to 10 years in prison, plus 800 days of fines, equivalent to 56,461 córdobas for the alleged crimes of “undermining national integrity” and for “propagation of false news through information technology and communication”.
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The appeal hearing took place in the Judicial Complex of Juigalpa, Chontales, where, according to the defender, the magistrates in charge of the case were told that the evidence presented by the Public Ministry against the two hostages of conscience , were obtained illegally, since their clients were arrested on November 6, 2021, one day before the elections of Daniel Ortega, and not on February 15, 2022 as stated by the Prosecutor’s Office.
“As evidence in favor of my clients is that the investigating officer Maria Elsa Bazan He said that the cell phone (low-end and without internet access) that Mr. Salinas Paz was using was on November 6, 2021.”
He added that the Sandinista magistrates were also told that there are two writs of habeas corpus for illegal detention in favor of their two clients and that they were filed on November 11, 2021, “that at the date of their arrest they had been in custody for 85 hours. to be held and without being placed at the disposal of the competent authority.
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According to José López, during the appeal trial it was requested that the two prisoners of conscience be allowed to speak, “where my clients stated that their detention was on November 6 in the public thoroughfare (in the case of Moisés Salinas Paz), while Rubén Araldo Manzanares, was arrested the same day, but in his home without an arrest warrant.
Likewise, he pointed out that the Public Ministry limited itself to affirming that it had already filed a document expressing its grievance and that they had nothing more to say.
“For our part, we asked the magistrates to declare the absolute and perpetual nullity of all the proceedings and to order the release of the two defendants. That is to say, we were categorical and emphatic in saying that this process that is being followed against my clients lacks all legality”, affirmed the human rights defender.
It should be noted that after the appeal hearing, the magistrates did not give a date for the ruling, they only said that “they would study the case.” As for Moisés David Salinas Paz, it is known that he was a councilor who owned the annulled Ciudadanos Por la Libertad (CxL) party, which has not spoken out about the kidnapping against its member.
