Clever Jimenez was sentenced to 18 months in prison

Clever Jimenez was sentenced to prison

Clever Jimenez, Assemblyman of Pachakutik, along with activist Carlos Figueroa and former union member Fernando Villavicencio were sentenced today to prison for the crime of libel accusations against the Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa.

In 2011 the three accused the president for supposedly ordering the armed raid in the Police Hospital, during the police revolt of September 30, 2010. This lawsuit was dismissed and was countersued by Correa for libel accusations.

The judgment came last night to the judicial counsel of the parties, where it was determined that there was sufficient evidence to confirm the offense for the crime they are contemplating in the article 494 of the Penal Code and determined that the breach by the Assemblyman of Zamora Chinchipe, Clever Jimenez, Carlos Eduardo Figueroa and Fernando Villavicencio was demonstrated.

The judge Lucy Blacio convicted Jimenez and Villavicencio as offenders and sentenced them to 18 months and a fine of $ 31. The ruling stated that certain factors were Figueroa justified in law and thus modified the judgment to 6 months and a fine of $ 8.

It also ordered the suspension of the citizenship rights of the defendants by the time the last sentence and recognizes the right of the Ecuadorian President Correa, to full compensation, this means that the three defendants in the first instance offer a public apology to Correa by means of written press, television and radio (two public and two private nationwide).

To repair the damage a base salary will be paid for each of the months after the August 4, 2011, date on which the complaint was Jimenez, Figueroa and Villavicencio. The total value reached to $ 6,096. Before the sentencing, the defense of Jimenez announced the immediate appeal because it considers the sentence unconstitutional and illegal.