Make them visible, and bring them to the Light
About Release Chains
“Sponsor a Political Prisoner”:
Several countries such as Russia, Belarus, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, China, Myanmar, and Turkmenistan, have political prisoners.
Human beings are incarcerated in atrocious prisons, without any hope to live in freedom or of seeing their families again. We want figures of powerful public influence, who are relevant and recognized, to sponsor political prisoners by being their voice and becoming, with their actions, the possible bridge to those prisoners’ freedom.
Presentation
Featured Keynote
Release Chains was born to make worldwide political prisoners’ struggles visible, help them out of captivity, and increase their political cost to their captors. This initiative looks to denounce the degrading conditions that many prisoners suffer in their own countries; due to a lack of freedoms, the rule of law and a lack of respect for human rights.
High-profile persons from the arts, sciences, politics, and jurists could access this digital platform, which will be a tool for supporting and amplifying its victims’ voices. Those who will act as advocates talking on behalf of prisoners will make them more visible. Our goal is to get them out into the light and spread their cause to achieve justice finally.
Sponsored Political Prisoners and Prisoners of Conscience
Sponsors: Maria Corina Machado Position: Opposition leader Name: Adrian de Gouveia de Sousa Position: Aviation major Deprived of liberty from: May 10th, 2018 Judgment: Awaiting trial Country: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Place of confinement: Military Prison of Ramo Verde Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Subject to torture and inhumane prison conditions
Sponsors: Carlos Ramirez Lopez Position: Lawyer Name: Angela Lizbeth Exposito Position: Animal protector and university professor Deprived of liberty from: September 22, 2018 Judgment: 24 years of imprisonment Country: Venezuela Place of confinement: SEBIN Helicoide Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Subject to torture and inhumane prison conditions
Sponsors: Beatriz Becerra Position: General Director in the City council of Malaga Name: Angélica Garrido Position: Opposition activist Deprived of liberty from: The 12th of July 2021 Judgment: 3 years of imprisonment Country: Cuba Place of confinement: Guatao Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Subject to torture and inhumane prison conditions
Sponsors: Isabel Benjumea Position: Member of the European Parliament Name: Carlos German Debáis Garcia Position: Photographer Deprived of liberty from: November 12th, 2021 Judgment: Provisional freedom Country: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Place of confinement: Rodeo II Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Inhumane prison conditions
Sponsors: Felipe González Position: Former Prime Minister of Spain Name: Cristiana Chamorro Barrios Position: Opposition leader and Journalist Deprived of liberty from: The 12th of June 2021 Judgment: 8 years of imprisonment Country: Nicaragua Place of confinement: House arrest Health condition: Normal Torture complaint: Subject to stigmatizing treatment
Sponsors: Javier Nart Peñalver Position: Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Name: Dora Maria Tellez Position: Activist and historian, opponent of the regime Deprived of liberty from: June of 2021 Judgment: 15 years of imprisonment Country: Republic of Nicaragua Place of confinement: Chipote Jail Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Yes
Sponsors: Gabriel Mato Position: Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Name: Félix Maradiaga Position: Nicaraguan Activists Political, Academic, presidential Pre-Candidate Deprived of liberty from: the 8th of June 2021 Judgment: 13 years of imprisonment Country: Republic of Nicaragua Place of confinement: Chipote Jail Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Yes
Sponsors: Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez Position: President of the Electoral Committee of the Popular Party Name: Felix Navarro Position: Opposition activist Deprived of liberty from: The 18th of May 2018 Judgment: 11 years of imprisonment Country: Cuba Place of confinement: Combinado de Matanzas Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Subject to torture and inhumane prison conditions
Sponsors: Miguel Ángel Rodriguez Position: Journalist and politician Name: Frank Cabaña Position: Civilian Deprived of liberty from: September 13, 2017 Judgment: Awaiting trial Country: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Place of confinement: Metropolitan Prison of Yare Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Subject to torture and inhumane prison conditions
Sponsors: Mariana Gómez del Campo Position: President of the ODCA Name: Gabriel Blanco Position: Human Rights activist Deprived of liberty from: July 7, 2022 Judgment: Awaiting trial Country: Venezuela Place of confinement: Bolivarian National Police Station Health condition: Normal Torture complaint: Due process violations
Sponsors: Juan Salafranca Position: Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Name: Héctor Armando Hernández Da Costa Position: Former General of the National Guard Deprived of liberty from: The 13th of August 2018 Judgment: 16 years of imprisonment Country: Venezuela Place of confinement: DGCIM Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Subject to torture and inhumane prison conditions
Sponsors: Miguel Henrique Otero Position: Owner of the newspaper El Nacional Name: Igbert Marin Chaparro Position: Military officer and university professor Deprived of liberty from: The 2nd of March of 2018 Judgment: 7 years and 6 months of imprisonment Country: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Place of confinement: DGCIM Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Subject to torture and inhumane prison conditions
Sponsors: Hector Schamis Position: Academic, writer and commentator Name: Javier Tarazona Position: Director of FundaREDES Deprived of liberty from: July 2nd, 2021 Judgment: Awaiting trial Country: Venezuela Place of confinement: SEBIN, El Helicoide Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Subject to torture Inhumane prison conditions
Sponsors: Rocio Monasterio Position: Member of the Assembly of Madrid Name: Jeanine Añez Chávez Position: Lawyer, Political Activist, Former President of Bolivia Deprived of liberty from: the 13th of March 2021 Judgment: 10 years of imprisonment Country: Plurinational Republic of Bolivia Place of confinement: Penal of Miraflores Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Yes
Sponsors: Miguel Ángel Rodriguez Echeverría Position: Former President of Cista Rica Name: Jhon Hader Betancourt Position: businessman Deprived of liberty from: August 16, 2019 Judgment: Awaiting trial Country: Venezuela Place of confinement: SEBIN Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Subject to torture and inhumane prison conditions
Sponsors: Ivan Espinosa de los Monteros Position: Deputy, spokesperson in the congress and deputy foreign secretary of Vox Name: Johny Rafael Mejías Laya Position: Colonel of the army Deprived of liberty from: January 30, 2019 Judgment: Awaiting trial Country: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Place of confinement: Military Prison of Ramo Verde Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Subject to torture and inhumane prison conditions
Sponsors: Francisco Javier Zarzalejos Nieto Position: Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Name: Jorge Reinier Arias García Position: Opposition activist Deprived of liberty from: The 11th of May 2021 Judgment: 12 years of imprisonment Country: Cuba Place of confinement: The "Boniato" Maximum Security Penitentiary Center Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Subject to torture and inhumane prison conditions
Sponsor: José Ramón Bauza Position: Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Name: José Daniel Ferrer García Position: Cuban human rights activist. Leader of the dissident movement in Cuba (Cuba Decide) Deprived of liberty from: the 11th of July 2021 Judgment: 25 years of imprisonment Country: Republic of Cuba: Place of confinement: Unknown location Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Yes
Sponsor: Manuel Cuesta Morua Position: President of the Progressive Arch, Human Rights Defender Name: Jose Gregorio Valladares Position: Commissary of CICPC Deprived of liberty from: June of 2019 Judgment: Awaiting trial Country: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Place of confinement: Yaré Jail Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Yes
Sponsors: Diego Arria Position: A former Venezuelan ambassador to the United Nations, and former chairman of the United Nations Security Council. Name: Juan Carlos Caguaripano Scott Position: Captain of Bolivarian National Guard (GNV) Deprived of liberty from: The 11th of August 2017 Judgment: Awaiting sentence Country: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Place of confinement: The Tumb Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Yes
Sponsors: Carlo Fidanza Position: Euro deputy of the European Parliament (MEP) Name: Juan Carlos Marrufol Position: Retired army official Deprived of liberty from: The 19th of March of 2019 Judgment: Awaiting trial Country: Republic of Venezuela Place of confinement: DGCIM Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Subject to inhumane prison conditions and cruel treatment
Sponsors: Juan Pablo Garcia Position: Member of the National Board of Vente Venezuela Name: Juan Carlos Monasterios Position: Former senior sergeant of the NG Deprived of liberty from: August 4th, 2018 Judgment: 30 years of imprisonment Country: Venezuela Place of confinement: El Helicoide Health condition: Severe weight loss Torture complaint: Subject to torture and inhumane prison conditions
Sponsors: Javier Cremades Position: President of the World Jurist Association (WJA) Name: Juan Lorenzo Holmann Chamorro Position: General manager of the newspaper La Prensa and former regional Vice-president of the Interamerican society of press (SIP) Deprived of liberty from: The 14th of August 2021 Judgment: 9 years of imprisonment Country: Republic of Nicaragua Place of confinement: The new Chipote Jail Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Subject to inhumane prison conditions
Sponsors: Oscar Arias Position: Former President of Costa Rica Name: Lazaro Yuri Valle Roca Position: Journalist, opposition activist Deprived of liberty from: June 15, 2021 Judgment: 5 years of imprisonment Country: Cuba Place of confinement: Combinado del Este Prison Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Subject to torture and inhumane prison conditions
Sponsors: Dionisio Garcia Carnero Position: Former Senator of the Spanish Parliament Name: Luis Alexander Bandres Figueroa Position: Third Sergeant Major of the National Guard Deprived of liberty from: January 21, 2019 Judgment: 15 years and 9 months of imprisonment Country: Venezuela Place of confinement: Common prison of La Pica Health condition: Severe health conditions Torture complaint: Subject to torture and inhumane prison conditions
Our mission is to remove political prisoners and prisoners of conscience from obscurantism and make them visible to the world, denounce the violations of totalitarian regimes, the abuse and systematic violation of human rights that they exercise on political prisoners and prisoners of conscience.
CASLA, Institute
Make them visible, and bring them to the Light
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