human rights defender
Max Isaac Jerez Meza
Actions and Campaigns
human rights defender
Actions and Campaigns
(AI translated) Access to Justice
1993
Man
Urban
Released
(AI translated) Student of Political Science at the Polytechnic University of Nicaragua, from the age of 9 he joined community groups where children and adolescents were taught to play musical instruments, where he developed his social commitments. He then enrolled in his university studies and stood out as one of the ten best students of the National University Council. In April 2018, he joined the social protests assuming a leadership role in the student struggles. He assumes the presidency of the National University Alliance (AUN) and integrates the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy (ACJD), playing an important role within the organizations and student movements that emerged in the context of the social protests. He was present at the Dialogue Table in May 2018, which led to harassment, persecution, aggressions, arbitrary detentions, and threats against his family by the National Police and civilians affiliated with the government. As a result, he had to live in safe houses from 2018 until his arrest in May 2021, and was later deported on February 9, 2023, to the United States and denationalized through a resolution of the Supreme Court of Justice of Nicaragua on February 10, 2023.
May 7, 2021
Sep 2, 2023
(AI translated) 13 years of prison
Latitude: 12.096942985994628
Longitude: -86.2812758311463
Managua
Dirección de Auxilio Judicial «Evaristo Vásquez» conocido como el Nuevo Chipote
(AI translated) In October 2018, he was attacked and threatened, along with other young people, by plainclothes individuals riding motorcycles and carrying firearms, who shot at them. On December 17, 2018, his house was raided by the police, and his father was taken to the police station and interrogated for about two hours regarding Max's whereabouts. Simultaneously, all the houses of the group of young people from AUN were raided, and a message was left by the police for their parents: "that they elaborate a letter asking for apologies to the country and to the Vice President Rosario Murillo." On March 16, 2019, he was detained along with more than 100 people and taken to the Judicial Aid Direction, where he was held in a cell with over 20 people, had his personal data taken, and was photographed before being released. On February 10, 2020, he suffered persecution from civilian motorcyclists and individuals in a car who fired guns at their vehicle. In April 2020, the safe house where he was staying was under surveillance and harassment by the police, so he had to continuously change residences. On June 22, 2021, for three hours, several motorcyclists pursued him and other AUN members after leaving a meeting, which was constantly monitored by plainclothes individuals on motorcycles. On July 5, 2021, he was detained around ten in the evening while he was at one of the houses he shared with other young people. During his arrest, the police raided the house. Two days later, on July 7, the Public Ministry issued a communiqué stating that the Judicial Power had approved a "judicial detention" for 90 days. The constitutional guarantees hearing was held in secret, in the early hours of the morning, and without the presence of legal representation. He was held incommunicado for 57 days, subjected to prolonged interrogations in the early hours of the morning and under threats; he was not allowed to go out into the "patio sol" and was kept isolated with his cellmate (another detained defender). The authorities repeatedly denied him entry of food and very few family visits, and when they were granted, it was under extreme surveillance and for a maximum of 30 minutes. During his incarceration, his mother passed away from multiple illnesses on September 17, 2021, and despite the procedures carried out to obtain a special permit to see his mother, it was not granted. He was informed of his mother's death by the authorities a month later. He was subjected to psychological torture and ill-treatment from the moment he entered the judicial aid cells until the last day he was put on a bus without being informed that he was being exiled; they only told him when they arrived at the airport, where a plane was waiting to take him and 221 other political prisoners to the United States, where he now lives in exile.
(AI translated) Released and deported to the United States on February 9, 2023, he had his Nicaraguan nationality revoked, leaving him stateless, and on February 10, 2023, through a resolution of the Supreme Court of Justice, where the confiscation of his assets was also ordered. He is currently exiled in San Francisco, California, United States.
(AI translated) Precautionary Measures Nos. 761-21 and 856-21, Resolution 83/2021, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights https://www.oas.org/en/iachr/decisions/mc/2021/res_83-21_mc_761-21%20and%20856-21_ni_en.pdf
Max Jerez: "These were conditions that violated the very essence of humanity" https://confidencial.digital/nacion/max-jerez-eran-condiciones-que-atentaban-contra-la-esencia-de-la-humanidad/
“I was a living dead man”: Testimony of former Nicaraguan political prisoner Max Jerez https://www.vozdeamerica.com/a/estaba-muerto-en-vida/7095895.html
Daniel Ortega's regime hid from student leader Max Jerez that his mother had died https://www.expedientepublico.org/regimen-de-daniel-ortega-oculto-al-lider-estudiantil-max-jerez-que-su-madre-habia-fallecido/
Documented by

(AI translated) Student of Political Science at the Polytechnic University of Nicaragua, from the age of 9 he joined community groups where children and adolescents were taught to play musical instruments, where he developed his social commitments. He then enrolled in his university studies and stood out as one of the ten best students of the National University Council. In April 2018, he joined the social protests assuming a leadership role in the student struggles. He assumes the presidency of the National University Alliance (AUN) and integrates the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy (ACJD), playing an important role within the organizations and student movements that emerged in the context of the social protests. He was present at the Dialogue Table in May 2018, which led to harassment, persecution, aggressions, arbitrary detentions, and threats against his family by the National Police and civilians affiliated with the government. As a result, he had to live in safe houses from 2018 until his arrest in May 2021, and was later deported on February 9, 2023, to the United States and denationalized through a resolution of the Supreme Court of Justice of Nicaragua on February 10, 2023.
Latitude: 12.096942985994628
Longitude: -86.2812758311463
(AI translated) 13 years of prison
(AI translated) Released and deported to the United States on February 9, 2023, he had his Nicaraguan nationality revoked, leaving him stateless, and on February 10, 2023, through a resolution of the Supreme Court of Justice, where the confiscation of his assets was also ordered. He is currently exiled in San Francisco, California, United States.
(AI translated) In October 2018, he was attacked and threatened, along with other young people, by plainclothes individuals riding motorcycles and carrying firearms, who shot at them. On December 17, 2018, his house was raided by the police, and his father was taken to the police station and interrogated for about two hours regarding Max's whereabouts. Simultaneously, all the houses of the group of young people from AUN were raided, and a message was left by the police for their parents: "that they elaborate a letter asking for apologies to the country and to the Vice President Rosario Murillo." On March 16, 2019, he was detained along with more than 100 people and taken to the Judicial Aid Direction, where he was held in a cell with over 20 people, had his personal data taken, and was photographed before being released. On February 10, 2020, he suffered persecution from civilian motorcyclists and individuals in a car who fired guns at their vehicle. In April 2020, the safe house where he was staying was under surveillance and harassment by the police, so he had to continuously change residences. On June 22, 2021, for three hours, several motorcyclists pursued him and other AUN members after leaving a meeting, which was constantly monitored by plainclothes individuals on motorcycles. On July 5, 2021, he was detained around ten in the evening while he was at one of the houses he shared with other young people. During his arrest, the police raided the house. Two days later, on July 7, the Public Ministry issued a communiqué stating that the Judicial Power had approved a "judicial detention" for 90 days. The constitutional guarantees hearing was held in secret, in the early hours of the morning, and without the presence of legal representation. He was held incommunicado for 57 days, subjected to prolonged interrogations in the early hours of the morning and under threats; he was not allowed to go out into the "patio sol" and was kept isolated with his cellmate (another detained defender). The authorities repeatedly denied him entry of food and very few family visits, and when they were granted, it was under extreme surveillance and for a maximum of 30 minutes. During his incarceration, his mother passed away from multiple illnesses on September 17, 2021, and despite the procedures carried out to obtain a special permit to see his mother, it was not granted. He was informed of his mother's death by the authorities a month later. He was subjected to psychological torture and ill-treatment from the moment he entered the judicial aid cells until the last day he was put on a bus without being informed that he was being exiled; they only told him when they arrived at the airport, where a plane was waiting to take him and 221 other political prisoners to the United States, where he now lives in exile.
(AI translated) Access to Justice
(AI translated) Precautionary Measures Nos. 761-21 and 856-21, Resolution 83/2021, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights https://www.oas.org/en/iachr/decisions/mc/2021/res_83-21_mc_761-21%20and%20856-21_ni_en.pdf
Max Jerez: "These were conditions that violated the very essence of humanity" https://confidencial.digital/nacion/max-jerez-eran-condiciones-que-atentaban-contra-la-esencia-de-la-humanidad/
“I was a living dead man”: Testimony of former Nicaraguan political prisoner Max Jerez https://www.vozdeamerica.com/a/estaba-muerto-en-vida/7095895.html
Daniel Ortega's regime hid from student leader Max Jerez that his mother had died https://www.expedientepublico.org/regimen-de-daniel-ortega-oculto-al-lider-estudiantil-max-jerez-que-su-madre-habia-fallecido/
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