human rights defender
Urgent support needed
(AI Translated) Demand guarantees and respect for the personal integrity of Mr. Rodrigo Bruno Arcángel and the other three family members who are deprived of liberty with him (Oliver Bruno Palacios, Evertz Antonio Bruno Palacio and Tony Alberto Smith). Request precautionary measures from the Inter‑American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and demand their prompt release.
HRD's year of birth
1971
HRD's Gender
Man
Type of HRD
- Peasant leader
HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Environmental rights
- Indigenous peoples’ rights
- Land rights
HRD's geographical origin
Rural
HRD's bio and work
(AI Translated) The Bruno family, descendants of the Mayangna indigenous communities, are all recognized forest rangers. Mr. Rodrigo Bruno Arcángel, 52, is the biological father of Oliver Bruno Palacios, Evertz Bruno Palacios, Víctor Bruno Palacios and Lesther Palacios Vanegas; the latter is a miner and is the only one who remains free. Mr. Rodrigo Bruno Arcángel lived in the village of Musawas, on the left bank of the Waspuk River, opposite the community’s Moravian church, together with his relatives. In their work as forest rangers they reported to the local police the invasions of settlers into indigenous communities; those settlers occupy indigenous territories under the pretext of raising cattle, but in reality they exploit the area’s gold and timber resources with the collusion of indigenous territorial authorities and local officials, who were not satisfied with the Bruno family’s work because it obstructed and harmed their interests, and therefore sought to implicate them in the case of a massacre that occurred in 2021 on Kiwakunbay Hill, a crime they did not commit. The detention of the forest rangers is a form of retaliation for opposing and reporting the settlers’ invasion that steals indigenous community territories.
Current Status
In prison (sentenced)
Detained since
Jan 24, 2021
Charge(s)
- Other
- Possession of illegal material
Sentence
(AI Translated) 24 years imprisonment
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) Violent detention with excessive force by police and the army that endangered the life of Mr. Rodrigo Bruno Arcángel and his family, violating their right to physical and psychological integrity and that of the residents of the Musawas community. The transfer to Managua (780 km away) caused uprooting and made family visits difficult due to the high costs of transportation, food and accommodation for one to three days, as well as parcel expenses for the four detained persons. During the detention, Mr. Bruno was taken almost naked and one of his sisters was injured. He was arrested without a judicial order, depriving him of his natural judge and leaving him incommunicado for several months; habeas corpus was denied, violating his rights to due process and the presumption of innocence. He was also denied a translator during the judicial process, as his mother tongue is Mayangna and he speaks little Spanish. In addition, they were prohibited from communicating with their relatives and with each other in their own mother tongue. These forest rangers are subjected to torture by the authorities of the Jorge Navarro Penitentiary System, known as “La Modelo,” where they are held in maximum‑security cells. Since May 2024, they have been forbidden to go out to the yard to sunbathe or interact with other prisoners or even with their own relatives who are in other cells. According to information provided by their families, both Mr. Bruno and the other forest rangers have health problems that have not been addressed, including auditory, cardiac, hypertension and vision conditions, among other chronic issues. The families have stated that the denial of letting them out of their cells is a six‑month punishment imposed by the penitentiary authorities, but no clear explanation has been given for the reason.
Recent case update / evolution
(AI Translated) The technical defense of the Bruno-surnamed forest rangers is being carried out by the UDJ; despite obstacles to exercising their defense, the case is at the cassation stage. It should be noted that the arrest was carried out violently with excessive use of force by the police and the army, endangering the life of Mr. Rodrigo Bruno Arcángel and his family, violating the right to physical and psychological integrity of both them and the inhabitants of the Musawas community. The transfer to Managua (780 km away) caused uprooting and made family visits difficult due to the high costs of transportation, food and accommodation for one to three days, as well as parcel expenses for the four detained persons. During the detention, Mr. Bruno was taken almost naked and one of his sisters was injured. He was detained without a judicial order, deprived of his natural judge and placed incommunicado for several months; habeas corpus was denied, violating his right to due process and the presumption of innocence. In addition, he was denied a translator during the judicial process, as his mother tongue is Mayagna and he speaks little Spanish. They were also prohibited from communicating with their relatives and with each other in their own mother tongue.
These forest rangers are subjected to torture by the authorities of the Jorge Navarro Prison System, known as “La Modelo,” where they are held in maximum‑security cells. Since May 2024, they have been prohibited from going out to the yard to sunbathe or interact with other prisoners or even with their own relatives who are in other cells. According to information provided by their families, both Mr. Bruno and the other rangers have health problems that have not been treated, including auditory, cardiac, hypertension and visual ailments, as well as other chronic health issues. The families have stated that the refusal to take them out of their cells is a six‑month punishment imposed by prison authorities, but no clear explanation has been given. He continues to be deprived of liberty in maximum‑security cells.
Any other relevant documents
(AI Translated) Army and Police detain indigenous leader and three Mayangna forest rangers https://100noticias.com.ni/politica/126026-nicaragua-denuncian-detencion-indigenas-mayangnas/
Indigenous people attacked by settlers in Sauni As, Nicaragua https://ondalocalni.com/noticias/2613-indigenas-atacados-colonos-nicaragua/
Four Mayangna indigenous forest rangers sentenced to 22 years in prison https://confidencial.digital/nacion/condenan-a-22-anos-de-carcel-a-cuatro-guardabosques-indigenas-mayangnas/
Groups that violated the peace and life of Mayangna Indigenous peoples are presented https://www.el19digital.com/articulos/ver/titulo:143558-presentan-agrupaciones-que-violentaban-la-paz-y-la-vida-de-los-pueblos-originarios-mayangnas
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