Eric Volz files petition against Nicaragua

A U.S. citizen who was jailed for thirteen months in Nicaragua has accused the Central American country for trying to reinstate his conviction.

In 2007, Eric Volz was convicted and sentenced to thirty years in prison for the 2006 rape and death of his former girlfriend- Doris Jimenez. His case stirred up plenty of emotions in Nicaragua as critics viewed him as a foreign gringo murderer while his supporters claimed that he was convicted by a kangaroo court. Last year, Volz was freed by an appellate court and has since been in hiding while working on his upcoming memoirs.

Yesterday Volz delivered a petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights alleging that the Nicaraguan government will restore his conviction. In a press release issued by his representatives, Volz accused Nicaraguan officials of trying to exploit him as a political pawn:

“I believe in justice and the word of law,” said Volz. “I lost over a year of my life due to a crime I didn’t commit and the Nicaraguan courts know I didn’t do. What happened to me shouldn’t occur to anyone. Courts exist to protect the innocent which is why I hope the Inter-American Commission takes action.” – [ed. personal translation]

What do you think?

Image- MSNBC
Online Sources- New York Times, NPR, The Latin Americanist, WHNT
E-mailed Source – Press release via Friends of Eric Volz