This Wednesday, February 16, they applied the conviction of nine years in prison against the political prisoner and renowned sports writer Miguel Mendoza, by the judicial apparatus that pays homage to the government of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.
The round of trials carried out by the Public Ministry, and held in the Directorate of Judicial Assistance (DAJ), the prison known as “the new Chipote”, not in the courts as established by law in Nicaragua, began on February 1 and since then continuous judicial processes have been carried out, the defense lawyers refer, “without due process,” which is a violation of the rights of political prisoners.
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On February 8 was the initial trial of Mendoza Urbina, in a process considered marathon of almost nine hours, that day the prosecution declared him guilty, for the alleged crimes of “Conspiracy to undermine national integrity” which is the same as saying “Treason against the country”.
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The recent laws approved to silence or repress the population, contradicts what the Political Constitution mandates, says the Mendoza family in a statement “The creation of Law 1055, “Sovereignty Law”, cannot be above what it mandates our Political Constitution, which in its Article 30 clearly states: Nicaraguans have the right to freely express their thoughts in public or in private, individually or collectively, orally, in writing or by any other means.
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The judge who sentenced the independent journalist is Luden Quiroz García, finding him guilty of crimes that the witnesses themselves “could not explain and they all got entangled” in their alleged testimonies, according to his brother Ramón Mendoza, one of Luden’s older brothers. Michael.
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Both Miguel Mendoza and his family were ready to receive the verdict because they know what happens with legal proceedings in the country against political figures. In a real-time statement after the trial they rejected the guilty verdict.
“This guilty verdict against Miguel cannot be considered valid…
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Our family rejects the accusations against Miguel. He is not a criminal, he is a journalist dedicated to the sports chronicle in a professional way, he is an honorable person who has overcome different stages based on sacrifices, as is characteristic of the majority of Nicaraguans of humble origin, such as our families ” , they manifested.
Miguel’s arrest day
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Mendoza was arrested on June 21, 2021, he tried not to be in his house to prevent his little daughter from witnessing that moment. It was until that day, due to the insistence of the people who love him, that he decided to protect himself, but it was impossible to avoid capture. A few minutes before, Miguel had spoken with his family.
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The same night the police raided his house, finding his wife Margin Pozo, also journalists, the home helper and his daughter Alejandra who was asleep. The agents searched all his belongings without finding anything more than a camera in poor condition and some bills with which he works, as is well known. They had nothing that could harm the Chronicler and in the statements of the alleged witnesses, all policemen, there were no real arguments that incriminate him, even so, he was found guilty.
State of Miguel Mendoza in prison
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Miguel has remained alone in a punishment cell in recent days, facing interrogations and battling with the night cold because he has not been allowed a blanket or blanket.
To this day, the journalist has been without freedom for 241 days.
The family in the statement expressed concern about his physical condition, “he has lost a lot of weight and we have not been allowed to verify his real state of health. We know that his diet is not adequate for his diabetic condition”.
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The family demands the freedom of the journalist, they support him and defend his position as an information professional and reiterate “he expressed his points of view through his social networks”, a right granted by the principles of freedom of expression and freedom of the press contained in our Constitution,” said the family.
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“We tell you for sure, Miguel is not a criminal, he is a journalist, and as such he has not betrayed his country, on the contrary, he has chosen the correct position, a career full of sacrifices, because he has dreamed of a just, free and united, in the midst of the diversity of thoughts.” They add in the family statement.
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In his defense on the day of the initial trial, Miguel said loud and clear, “that he is a professional journalist, a sports writer with more than 30 years of experience and that at all times he feels proud to be an independent journalist, and for being on the side of the defense of the Nicaraguan people.”
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Margin Pozo on her Facebook profile wrote “the reading of the sentence… An inhuman and unjust act, which we reject in the name of Jesus. We continue to reiterate that freedom of expression is a constitutional right.”
The journalist and wife of Mendoza adds “Thinking differently from others is not a crime. Miguel is a Sports Journalist-Chronicler, he is not a criminal”.
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Mendoza’s family demands his freedom and that of the more than 170 political prisoners in Nicaragua.
The Union of Independent Journalists and Communicators of Nicaragua, PCIN, rejected the sentence against the journalist “for lacking any real legal basis and for being the result of a force with the appearance of a trial.”
PCIN, an organization to which Mendoza has belonged since its foundation, has never stopped supporting its member, assuring that he has not committed any crime, for which they demand his “immediate release, as well as compensation for the damage caused.” , reads the statement issued by the journalistic guild.
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Yesterday, Wednesday, the Sandinista judges also issued convictions against the two political prisoners, Suyen Barahona, who was sentenced to eight years in prison, and Nidia Barbosa, who was sentenced to nine years.
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The Nicaraguan Human Rights Collective Never Again repudiated the convictions against the three political prisoners, alleging that they are innocent “in an unconstitutional and arbitrary act accusing them of the false crimes of conspiracy to undermine national integrity and spread false news. Suyén, Miguel, Nidia and all the political prisoners have not committed any crime, they are victims of all kinds of violations against their human rights.”
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The group demanded the immediate release of all political prisoners in Nicaragua.
