human rights defender

Gustavo Adolfo Mendoza Beteta

Actions and Campaigns

HRD's year of birth

1984

HRD's Gender

Man

Type of HRD

  • Social and community leader
  • Whistle blower

HRD's thematic area of engagement

  • Civil and political rights

HRD's geographical origin

Urban

HRD's bio and work

(AI Translated) Gustavo Adolfo Mendoza Beteta joined the April 2018 protests to defend the rights of his family members affected by the reforms to the Nicaraguan Institute of Social Security (INSS) proposed by the Daniel Ortega regime.

Current Status

Released

Detained since

Jul 29, 2020

Date of release

Feb 9, 2023

Charge(s)

  • Other

Sentence

(AI Translated) 10 years imprisonment and a fine of 500 days corresponding to C$31,195

Latitude: 12.183752347983708

Longitude: -86.08590737952117

Geolocation of detention

Country or area of detention

Region of detention

  • Americas: Latin America and the Caribbean

Location of detention - City/Town

(AI Translated) Tipitapa

Location of detention - Facility

(AI Translated) Jorge Navarro Prison System, known as La Modelo Prison

Allegations / reports of ill-treatment

(AI Translated) On May 11, 2018, he was arrested and beaten by police officers, taken to the Police Unit of District II in Managua, where the assaults continued until his clavicle was fractured.

On June 7, 2019, he was sentenced in a judicial process riddled with irregularities for an alleged aggravated robbery against a police officer. On December 30, 2019, he was released together with 90 other political prisoners, but he was harassed at his home by police and parapolice and detained on at least two occasions.

On February 1, 2020, the police raided his parents’ home without a judicial warrant and detained him for a second time; he was released two days later. On July 29, 2020, he was detained again, initially accused of disturbing public order and later police officers reported that they had supposedly found drugs on him, leading to his prosecution and a 10‑year prison sentence.

He was held in a small cell with 20 other people, without minimum hygiene conditions, without ventilation, sleeping on the floor and receiving raw food. In addition, he was subjected to assaults and threats by prison guards and other state authorities.

Recent case update / evolution

(AI Translated) Exiled and stripped of his nationality and assets.

On 24/11/2022, Defense requests the authorities of SPN La Modelo to refer the defendant for a medical evaluation by the IML due to health problems.

On 07/02/23, a judicial notice is sent to the defense declaring the defendant a traitor to the Fatherland and disabling his civil rights.

Any other relevant documents

(AI Translated) Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Precautionary Measures No. MC 96-21 https://www.oas.org/es/cidh/decisiones/mc/2021/res_37-21_mc_96-21_ni_es.pdf

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