human rights defender
Suyen Barahona Cuán
Actions and Campaigns
Urgent support needed
(AI Translated) Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Precautionary Measures Nos. 593-21, 665-21 and 680-21 https://www.oas.org/es/cidh/decisiones/mc/2021/res_71-21_mc_593-21, 665-21 y 680-21_ni_es.pdf
Organization affiliation
- Unidad Nacional Azul y Blanco (UNAB)
- Unión Democrática Renovadora (UNAMOS)
HRD's year of birth
1977
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
HRD's bio and work
(AI Translated) Suyen Barahona is the executive director of Colmena Fund, an organization dedicated to empowering women in formal political spaces throughout the Global South, especially those from marginalized backgrounds. She is a political leader, human rights activist, and feminist with more than 15 years of experience in political leadership. Previously, she served as president of UNAMOS, a Nicaraguan political party that promotes democracy, progress, opportunities, and justice.
She has faced persecution and has been unjustly and arbitrarily imprisoned on two occasions. As a result of a wave of governmental repression before the 2001 national elections, she was illegally detained for 606 days, deported, and stripped of her citizenship.
She is committed to supporting other women to acquire political power and promote democracy, gender equality, and justice.
In 2022, she received the Human Rights Award for her outstanding political courage from the Progressive Alliance, and in 2023, she was awarded the Justice Champions Prize by the Global Women’s Institute of George Washington University.
Current Status
Released
Detained since
Jun 13, 2021
Date of release
Feb 9, 2023
Charge(s)
- Subversion
Sentence
(AI Translated) Eight years in prison
Latitude: 12.096942985994628
Longitude: -86.2812758311463
Geolocation of detention
Country or area of detention
Region of detention
- Americas: Latin America and the Caribbean
Location of detention - City/Town
(AI Translated) Managua
Location of detention - Facility
(AI Translated) Judicial Assistance Office “Evaristo Vásquez” known as the New Chipote
Allegations / reports of ill-treatment
(AI Translated) Permanently isolated together with three other cellmates, confined in solitary cells, they have no access to reading materials and are under continuous custody.
Recent case update / evolution
(AI Translated) Exiled and stripped of her nationality and assets.
On 07/02/23 a judicial notification notice was sent to the defense, declaring her a traitor to the Fatherland and disabling her civic rights.
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