The lawyer and defender of Nicaraguan political prisoners Yonarqui Martínez broke the silence after the decision of the Judiciary to annul her title as lawyer and notary public. She affirmed that what was done by the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ), at the service of the Ortega Murillo regime, is illegal and that she does not recognize the resolution that leaves her as a bachelor.
Last Tuesday, May 9, the CSJ “definitely” suspended the lawyer from the exercise of her profession. “Ms. Yonarqui de los Ángeles Martínez García is sanctioned with definitive suspension from the profession of Lawyer and Notary Public, as of the notification of this sentence,” reads the circular issued by the Ortega regime’s justice system.
Yonarqui Martínez is one of the most prominent lawyers for political prisoners in the country. Since the beginning of the social crisis in Nicaragua, she led the defense of political prisoners until she was released by court ruling or by the controversial Amnesty Law. She has received death threats, sieges, persecution, highway attacks, and shots fired at her home.
Related news: Supreme Court of Justice “definitely” suspends lawyer Yonarqui Martínez from her profession
«I do not recognize such a resolution that was signed by three magistrates: Dr. Alba Luz Ramos, Dr. Juana Méndez and Dr. Marvin Aguilar. I was not allowed to defend myself, I was not allowed to enter the archives, even until now I was ordered to deliver the titles of attorney and notary public. I have not done it, I will not do it. I do not recognize the illegalities that the Judiciary has committed,” Martínez said in a video distributed to the media.
The resolution ordered the lawyer to submit to the Secretariat of the CSJ, within 24 hours, the titles of lawyer and notary public, the protocols that she carried out during the five-year periods that she was authorized to certify, seal and lawyer and notary card.
«Introducing myself to the offices of the Judiciary means giving it credibility, so as a lawyer I am not going to lend myself to such retaliation. Obviously it is a channel to silence a voice that has been with the victims every day. This does not mean that the work as a defender will end, no. This brings a greater commitment to the victims, a greater commitment to the citizenry, now as a victim, we have a long way to go,” the lawyer responded to the CSJ’s mandate.
Martínez stated that the actions of the Judiciary every day show that it is an institution “adapted” to the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo. In addition, he said that “there is the door of truth and justice, there will be a transition in which all these outrages in which we have been victims will be investigated.”
She also expressed her solidarity with the 25 lawyers, who, like her, were deprived of their free exercise as lawyers and notaries. “It is a definitive suspension without legal support,” she concluded.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) granted precautionary measures in favor of the defender and has asked the State to guarantee her right to life and personal integrity, noting that Martínez and her family “are in a serious and urgent situation.”
