Read Mary's Article Here

“We are gratified that the United Nations has found Jason is being held in violation of international law,” said Puracal’s international attorney, Jared Genser.  “We call on the Nicaraguan government to release him immediately in accordance with this important ruling.”

To read the full text of the United Nations ruling on case 10-2012 click below:

Spanish Version

English Version

The cost of an international defense effort to free an innocent American from wrongful imprisonment abroad can be more than a million dollars. Jason family is under heavy financial burden.

Please help Jason's family bring Jabu's dad home by donating here. To learn more, watch this video about Jason's story.

Former Attorney General of Canada, and private counsel to Nelson Mandela, Irwin Cotler, addressed a powerful letter to the Attorney General of Nicaragua, Julio Centeno, urging him to order a review of Jason’s wrongful conviction. You can read the letter here.  The letter notes as well that the California Innocence Project has formally accepted the case.

Centeno responded in the press claiming that the conviction was delivered according to law.

The significance of this support shows that the international community is taking notice about the injustice Jason is facing. You can read more about Jason's case on the Wrongful Convictions Blog.

Don't live in Seattle? Check out this video and get inspired to join in the fight by donating to Jason's defense fund.

Video credits and very special thanks goes to the following:

Deepak George
Rena and Nadine Mundo of Mundo Films
ZS Grant of AndWhat Productions
Eric Donaldson of FXF Productions
Chris Billig of TCG Studio
David House Agency

Jaime and I traveled to Nicaragua on April 15 to visit Jason and bring him the latest news about the case.  After standing in the prison line for about two hours on Monday morning, we were allowed to visit with him for about 40 minutes.  The visiting area is a large room with concrete floors, walls, and benches.  The dilapidated roof is typical of the entire structure, and the place is loud, dirty, and crawling with insects. 

Jason was brought out about half an hour after we got to the room.  He had a big smile for us and a huge hug.  Jaime and I were surprised to see how much more weight he has lost over the last couple months.  The malnutrition and stress of prison conditions have taken their toll on him physically.  His cheeks are sunken in and his eyes have dark circles around them.  His body looked weak and fragile, and he was having trouble lifting the bags of food we brought for him to take back to his cell.  
 

We told Jason about the Change.org petition. He was shocked to learn that over 80,000 people have already signed in the short time since the petition’s release.  He was more shocked to learn that, every time a supporter signs the petition, an email goes to our four target representatives in the U.S. and Nicaraguan governments. 

We also told Jason about the petition we filed on April 12 with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture requesting an investigation into the appalling prison conditions at La Modelo.  He was happy to hear that the investigation would benefit all of the inmates at La Modelo.

Jason told us about the many other inmates at La Modelo who, like Jason, were grabbed by the Nicaraguan National Police without a warrant and without any evidence of crime.  Many of the convictions are for drug-related crimes because the police know that the authorities will not generally question the police tactics in drug cases.  There was one man from Panama who was arrested for drug-related charges.  The charges were dismissed and never re-alleged, yet, still, the man is stuck in prison with no way out.  There was another man from Guatemala who was wrongfully convicted and eventually found innocent by the appellate court.  He, however, remains in prison because he cannot afford the $50 bus ticket home to Guatemala, and the prison refuses to release him until he can buy the ticket.  We talked to several other inmates while we were there, each of whom had a similar story.  Some of them recognized me and Jaime from the news and came over to tell us how much they appreciated someone bringing light to what is happening in Nicaragua.

The news reports continued while we were there. We were interviewed by several newspapers, radio shows, and an investigative television report.  The media has been tremendously supportive and sympathetic to what Jason has had to endure over the past eighteen months.  A number of the reporters picked up on the fact that the recent UN petition should bring attention to prison conditions, which prison authorities have been trying to keep concealed by, among other things, prohibiting human rights organizations from visiting the prison.

The worst part of our trips to Nicaragua is leaving.  Not only are we having to walk away without Jason, which leaves an ache in my heart, but we never know when or if we will ever see him again.  This time we managed to take a little piece of him home with us by bringing Jason’s dog, Trueno, a loyal Rottweiler he has had since his time in the Peace Corps, to his new home at our mom’s house in Tacoma.  Trueno has Jason’s strength of heart, but he’s no substitute for the original.