human rights defender

Rusia Evelyn Pinto Centeno

Urgent support needed

(AI translated) Access to justice in the realm of universal jurisdiction so that your case does not go unpunished

Organization affiliation

  • Unidad Nacional Azul y Blanco (UNAB)
  • Unión Democrática Renovadora (UNAMOS)

HRD's year of birth

1959

HRD's Gender

Woman

Type of HRD

  • Social and community leader

HRD's thematic area of engagement

  • Civil and political rights
  • Women's rights

HRD's geographical origin

Urban

Current Status

Released

HRD's bio and work

(AI translated) Evelyn Pinto has stood out since a very young age as a human rights defender, dedicating her life to the defense of human rights for children, women, and indigenous communities. She worked in the field of international cooperation on issues related to children, youth, and women's organizations until 2018. She has promoted gender equality and the participation of women in political affairs. In 2018, she participated in peaceful demonstrations, collaborated in the humanitarian work of supporting families of injured, murdered, or imprisoned persons as a result of the repression during the social protests of that year. She also actively participated in social media and private spaces, expressing her critical opinion towards the government regarding the management of the sociopolitical crisis in the country.

Detained since

Jun 11, 2021

Date of release

Sep 2, 2023

Charge(s)

  • Spreading fake news
  • Subversion

Sentence

(AI translated) 8 years of prison

Geolocation of detention

Country or area of detention

Region of detention

  • Americas: Latin America and the Caribbean

Location of detention - City/Town

Tipitapa

Location of detention - Facility

Establecimiento Penitenciario Integral de Mujeres (EPIM), mejor conocido como «La Esperanza»

Allegations / reports of ill-treatment

(AI translated) ```On November 6, 2021, she was arbitrarily detained at her home by more than twenty police officers who aggressively entered her house looking for phones and forcing family members to delete security camera recordings, without presenting any court order. She was taken to the Managua District III police station. On the 21st of that month, she was brought before a judge, accused of "conspiracy to commit damage to national integrity in real concurrence with the crime of spreading false news through information and communication technologies, to the detriment of the State of Nicaragua." She was not allowed access to a lawyer of her choice at that time and remained incommunicado with her family until the trial began. On November 25, she had her initial hearing, where she was verbally abused by police officers from the court, reprimanded for wearing underwear, and forced to undress and remove her underwear. She was made to do squats. On December 1 of that year, she was transferred to the Women's Comprehensive Penitentiary Center La Esperanza (EPIM), and a sentencing verdict was handed down on March 11, 2022. During the 25 days she spent in the cells of the National District III Police, she slept on the prison floor and on a stone tile, without sheets or pillows. She was also not allowed to bring in towels. She had no access to phone calls, family visits, or legal representation, and she did not receive medical attention. She was subjected to interrogations for 20 consecutive days, during which time she was reportedly verbally abused by police officers. She was finally able to see her family on December 21, 2021, after she had already been transferred to La Esperanza Penitentiary. At La Esperanza Penitentiary, she was confined to a maximum-security cell for six months, under the constant surveillance of a guard outside her cell, and she was not allowed any contact with anyone. She was only permitted to take a half-hour walk three times a week in the prison yard. She was later transferred to another cell, where she shared space with two other human rights defenders until they were released and deported to the United States. Defender Pinto is a thyroid cancer survivor who has undergone a thyroidectomy and requires permanent medication. She also suffers from chronic renal failure and hypertension and requires regular medical check-ups to evaluate her condition and adjust her medication dosages, if necessary. During her time in La Esperanza Prison, she was held in inadequate detention conditions, lacking the necessary medical attention for her multiple ailments, including chronic renal failure, hypertension, hypothyroidism, weight loss, insomnia, muscle pain, throat allergies, respiratory problems, knee wear, headaches, and leg tingling. The few medications she was allowed to bring in were not administered at the scheduled times, which caused complications to her health, and she spent more than a week in the prison clinic.

Recent case update / evolution

(AI translated) She was released from prison on February 9, 2023, and exiled to the United States where she remains with her minor daughter. On February 10, 2023, the Nicaraguan government stripped her of her citizenship, leaving her in a state of statelessness, so she was forced to apply for Spanish citizenship.

Any other relevant documents

(AI translated) Precautionary Measures No. 506-22, Resolution 38/2022, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights https://www.oas.org/en/iahc/decisions/mc/2022/res_38-22_mc_506-22_es.pdf

The IACHR grants precautionary measures for Russia Evelyn Pinto Centeno in Nicaragua https://www.oas.org/en/CIDH/jsForm/?File=/en/cidh/prensa/comunicados/2022/174.asp

Inter-American Court of Human Rights Resolution of November 22, 2022, Provisional Measures, Juan Sebastián Chamorro et al. and 45 Persons Deprived of their Liberty in 8 Detention Centers, Nicaragua https://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/medidas/45personas_se_02.pdf

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