Yubrank Suazo

Freedom for Yubrank to return to the streets to dance to the sound of the marimba!

Yubrank Suazo, 31, was first detained on September 10, 2018. At that time, he had stood out for his leadership in the April 19 Movement of Masaya and for dancing to the sound of the marimba during the peaceful demonstrations that began in April 2018. As a result, Suazo became a target for the regime, which, through the Prosecutor’s Office, accused him of terrorism, frustrated murder, threats with weapons and hindering public services.

Prior to his detention, on July 10, 2018, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) had already granted precautionary measures in favor of Suazo, after considering that he was at risk due to his active participation in the demonstrations “for which he would have received attacks and repression from the government”; however, the regime did not stop the violations of his rights, locked him up in the prison “La Modelo” and in the punishment cells known as “El Infiernillo”.

On June 11, 2019 he was released from prison under the Amnesty Law and continued in civic protest groups, joining the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy (ACJD), sharing his critical opinions in his social networks and other spaces.

Yubrank has a great passion for the marimba, for weaving hammocks and also likes to make flower arrangements; but the most precious thing she has is her family. For this reason, he has not hesitated to denounce the attacks on his parents. “Neighbors alert me about the persistence of motorized vehicles that are located one block away from my parents’ house…. Thank you for being attentive to my parents,” he posted on May 16.

In the early morning of May 18, the police violently entered his house, beat his father and took Yubrank away without giving any information. Hours later it was learned that he was transferred to the Judicial Assistance Directorate (DAJ) or the “Nuevo Chipote”, and that he was charged with the crimes of conspiracy to commit undermining national integrity and for spreading false news.

Suazo faces a judicial process without guarantees of due process and with multiple violations of his human rights. Judge Nadia Tardencilla held a 40-minute secret hearing in which the detainee was not present and declared the process of “complex processing”, which doubles the time period in which the trial will take place.

The IACHR became aware of this situation and issued an extension of its precautionary measures on June 13. In the document, the Commission states that until May 31, 2022, his defense attorney was able to talk to him for only 2 minutes, but his family members have not had any type of communication with him.

Suazo is innocent, “there is no conspiracy… but simply the constitutional exercise of Yubrank’s freedom of thought”, states his lawyer. By prosecuting him for crimes he has not committed, the Justice System at the service of the regime is absolutely violating the guarantees of due process.

Yubrank has already been unjustly imprisoned for a month in solitary confinement in the DAJ.

Freedom for Yubrank Suazo!

We demand to the Ortega-Murillo regime: Free Nicas Now!