Judge Bedón declared Iza's detention legal, but ordered his immediate release with alternative measures to pre-trial detention. | Photo: @chirapaqoficial
Quito, June 15 (RHC)-- In Ecuador, Judge Paola Bedón considered this Tuesday as legal the detention of the president of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), Leonidas Iza, although she ordered his immediate release with alternative measures to preventive detention, such as the prohibition to leave the country and periodic presentation before the Prosecutor's Office every Wednesday and Friday.
In addition, he ordered to initiate the prosecution investigation against the leader of the indigenous movement for the alleged crime of paralyzing public services and the hearing will take place on July 4.
The preventive detention responds to a request of the prosecutor Marisela Yanez, after almost 24 hours of detention that was denounced by Conaie as illegal. The in flagrante delicto hearing against Iza began around 21H45 local time (02H45 GMT Wednesday). Both parties presented their arguments on the legality of the detention.
The indigenous leader commented that his rights were read in his native language at 08H00 local time (13H00 GMT), seven hours after the arrest. His defense indicated that there were irregularities, such as the delivery of the arrest report at 11H00 local time (16H00 GMT).
Iza said that he was held incommunicado and that they tried to force him to sign documents without knowing what they were for and without his lawyer present.
Judge Bedón dismissed the explanations and accepted the plea of prosecutor Yánez, so she declared the detention as legal, as well as his flagrancy. "The alleged commission of crimes that affect the rights of Ecuadorian citizens is verified, among them, the right to free mobility and free circulation," she stated.
Iza was captured by the police early Tuesday morning in Cotopaxi, while supervising the road closure called by him at the head of his organization.
In view of the arrest, Conaei ordered to radicalize the actions of the indefinite national strike, due to the absence of dialogue by the government of President Guillermo Lasso to solve their demands. Demonstrators obstructed passages and highways throughout the country and demanded the freedom of their leader.
