New Kidnappings and Bogus Accusations in Nicaragua
The number of political prisoners continues to increase. The latest detainee is Max Jerez, father of the student leader with the same name, who has spent more than a year in the El Chipote jail.
HAVANA TIMES – The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo arrested on November 29, Max Jerez, father of the student leader of the same name captured in July 2021. This is the most recent arrest in a repressive escalation unleashed in recent weeks, which has left at least twelve people detained in different police stations.
Max Jerez Sr. joins the arbitrary detentions of Guisselle and Walkiria Ortega, aunt and niece, respectively, Francisco Hernaldo Vasquez, Rodrigo Navarrete, Oscar Rene Vargas, Carlos Valle, Mildred Rayo, Miguel Flores, Karla Vega, Allan Sebastian Bermudez and Sandra del Carmen Acevedo Diaz.
The regime also detained for 14 days 19 indigenous youths from the municipalities of Bilwi and Waspam, in the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region, who were captured in the context of the protests stirred up after the municipal electoral farce on November 6. They were released on November 25.
In recent days, the release of another ten people captured in the context of the elections was also reported.
Sources close to Max Jerez’s family confirmed that he was taken to Police District V, in Managua, but ignore the reasons for his arrest. They also explained that Jerez Sr. does not have a close relationship with the student leader.
Fabricated crimes are concealed in Ortega’s judicial system
Meanwhile, the regime’s Prosecutor’s Office filed a series of criminal complaints against nine of the twelve detainees. In six of these cases, the regime concealed the alleged crimes committed by the political opponents, in which “the State of Nicaragua and Nicaraguan society” declared themselves as victims or offended parties.
According to the website of the Judicial Branch, a criminal accusation against Guisselle and Walkiria Ortega, aunt and niece, respectively, and Francisco Hernaldo Vasquez is pending in the Sixth Criminal District Court of Managua. The accusation was lodged on Saturday, November 25, by prosecutor Sandro Pena Urbina, but the alleged crime does not appear in the digital file.
Guisselle, Walkiria and Francisco were arrested by the Police on Thursday, November 24. Guisselle was arrested in 2018 for participating in the citizen protests of that year and since then has suffered police harassment.
Relatives of Guisselle and Walkiria assume that the arrest of both is due to the printing of some stickers that Guisselle sent to be made at Ortega’s Multiservicios, owned by Walkiria. While Francisco, who is the owner of Copynic, was allegedly arrested because he rented the printers to Ortega’s Multiservicios.
“What is known is that Walkiria sent some stickers to Guisselle, alluding to Nicaragua. There is nothing to prosecute, it is really another abuse of power. They have done nothing wrong to be treated so inhumanely, or be arbitrarily detained,” a relative commented to 100% Noticias.
Two days earlier, on Tuesday, November 22, sociologist and writer, Oscar Rene Vargas, was arrested and criminally charged. According to details from his family, Vargas, 76 years old, was arrested at about 10:45 am at the home of his sister Patricia, located in Bolonia.
In less than 24 hours after the arrest, the Public Prosecutor’s Office charged him without specifying the crime. The accusation notes that the State is the offended party. The case is being handled by prosecutor Yubelca del Carmen Perez Alvarado and judge Gloria Maria Saavedra Corrales, who has convicted numerous political prisoners.
The regime also maintains an unspecified criminal charge against Mildred Rayo and Miguel Flores, members of the Nicaraguan University Alliance (AUN), who were arrested in the context of the municipal electoral farce.
Crimes attributed to political prisoners
In mid-November, sources from opposition organizations and lawyer Yonarqui Martinez —who monitors cases as a human rights defender—, confirmed that the Ortega justice system had accused opposition member Karla Vega, a native of El Rosario, Carazo; Allan Sebastian Bermudez and Sandra del Carmen Acevedo Diaz for allegedly “conspiring to undermine national integrity” and “spreading fake news,” catch-all crimes that have been used by the Judiciary to fabricate cases against opponents, according to legal experts and human rights defenders.
Martinez then confirmed that Vega was presented at a preliminary hearing last November 11 and the initial hearing was held on Monday, November 21.
“They kicked in the door and entered with rage. They threw her (in the station wagon). There were about ten riot police. Her physical integrity and life is in danger because since they took her out of the house they were beating her,” a relative of Vega told Confidential about her detention.
Meanwhile, the relatives of the detainees Carlos Valle, Rodrigo Navarrete and Max Jerez Sr. are waiting for charges to be brought against them or for them to be released.