Edgardo Antonio Cárcamo Díaz

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER

Country(ies) of nationality

Type of HRD

HRD's thematic area of engagement

HRD's bio and work: (AI translated) Edgardo Antonio Cárcamo Díaz, 43, from Managua, has a minor son, owner of a print and photo editing shop in a Managua shopping center, who supported some moments of the protests with printed material. He was detained at his workplace for providing the service of printing and enlarging a photograph of Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, deprived of his liberty and sentenced to several years in prison, and later deported to Rome. The material was used for a campaign demanding the release of Monsignor. Mr. Cárcamo was accused and sentenced to six years in prison for the crime of Conspiracy to commit damage to national integrity and dissemination of false news through information and communication technologies to the detriment of the Nicaraguan State and society.

Country or area of detention

Region of detention

Location of detention - Facility: Sistema Penitenciario Jorge Navarro, conocido como Carcel La Modelo

Geolocation of detention

Latitude: 12.183752347983708

Longitude: -86.08590737952117

Charge(s)

Recent case update / evolution: (AI translated) Mr. Cárcamo was detained on the night of August 8, 2023, in the parking lot of the Multicentro las Américas shopping center in Managua and taken to the police cells of District III in the capital, where he remained for 3 days before being transferred to La Modelo prison. He is being held in gallery number 17, where he is deprived of his freedom and lacks access to proper medical care for his health conditions, and is subject to inadequate detention conditions. According to interviews given by family members, Mr. Cárcamo and other political prisoners are being subjected to violence by penitentiary agents who verbally abuse them and threaten to beat them. He was denied due process: i) his arrest was made without a prior arrest warrant; ii) he was unable to choose a lawyer of his own for his defense, nor has he been able to access the judicial file documentation (including the accusation and the sentencing) to exercise his right to a proper defense; the hearings, like many others, have been held via video conference. He is currently detained in La Modelo prison under inhuman conditions, with inadequate food and without medical attention to properly address his physical ailments (diabetes, ingrown toenail, physical pain in various parts of the body, depression, and toothache).

Allegations / reports of ill-treatment: (AI translated) Mr. Edgardo Antonio Cárcamo, according to his family, suffers from diabetes and has altered glucose levels, in addition to cholesterol problems and cramps, all caused by the daily stress experienced at the La Modelo penitentiary, poor nutrition, and a lack of adequate and timely medical attention, which is deteriorating his health day by day. While confined in District III, he was questioned in the early hours about who had ordered him to print photos of priests; if he had ties with the "left"; if they were sponsoring and conspiring against the government; and who else was involved. He was kept handcuffed at all times. On August 11, 2023, he was transferred to La Modelo's Gallery 16. In the early months, the guards would touch the bars with their batons to interrupt his sleep. After a hunger strike at the prison demanding proper nutrition and medical attention, on December 1, 2023, they took away the food and supplies brought by his family. He was the only prisoner in La Modelo's Gallery 17 who was not released on September 5, 2024. That day he was taken to a visitor's room while listening to the people being transferred and removed from their cells for extradition to Guatemala. Immediately afterwards, the prison authorities stripped him of all his supplies and sent him to a small cell with a common criminal.

Protection actions and campaigns

Urgent support needed: (AI translated) Mr. Edgardo Antonio Cárcamo, according to his family, suffers from diabetes and has altered glucose levels, as well as cholesterol problems and cramps, all caused by the daily stress of life in La Modelo Penitentiary, poor nutrition, and a lack of proper and timely medical attention, which has led to a deterioration in his health. While confined in District III, he was questioned in the early hours about who had ordered him to print photos of priests; if he had ties with the "left"; if they were sponsoring and conspiring against the government; and who else was involved. He was kept handcuffed at all times. On August 11, 2023, he was transferred to La Modelo to Gallery 16. In the early months, the guards would use their tonfas to touch the bars of his cell, disrupting his sleep. After a hunger strike carried out in the prison demanding proper food and medical attention, on December 1, 2023, they took away the food and supplies brought by his family. He was the only prisoner in Gallery 17 of La Modelo Prison who was not released on September 5, 2024. That day, he was taken to a visiting room while listening to the transfer and removal from their cells of those who were being released and deported to Guatemala. Immediately afterwards, the prison authorities stripped him of all his supplies and sent him to a small cell with a common law convict.

Any other relevant documents: (AI translated) Demand guarantees and respect for Mr. Cárcamo's personal integrity, and urge his immediate release. Request for precautionary measures from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), which were granted through RESOLUTION 39/2024 Precautionary Measures No. 553-24 on June 17, 2024

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Supporting files