Even though Eric is finally free, this story doesn't seem to be over. Today Eric posted a new video on his website that he smuggled out of prison in Nicaragua. I'm guessing that there are going to be some unhappy officials in Nicaragua once they find out about this.

Eric and his mother Maggie were on the Today Show this morning.

Also, check out further coverage of Eric tonight and tomorrow night on Anderson Cooper.

This story is not over yet folks.

Eric is free. But this story isn't over.

It appears that Eric's acquittal is going to be appealed in Nicaragua. And the judges who ruled in favor of Eric are being investigated for corruption.

Here is a Declaration of Facts from Eric and his family. Check back tomorrow for a video that I will have of Eric explaining the situation in his own words.

Declaration of Facts read more »

Statement from the family of Eric Volz – Friday, December 21, 2007 – 8:30pm Central

"Eric Volz was released from a Nicaraguan prison hospital earlier today and will be in hiding, due to reports of threats against him. We have reason to believe he is being followed and are taking every precaution to assure his safety.

Our family is overwhelmed by the incredible outpouring of support of Eric's innocence over the past year. In the center of an impossible situation, we have experienced the most abundant love from friends and total strangers, and we thank you.

We are grateful to the courageous individuals in the Nicaraguan government who fought for truth and justice to prevail in this case as well to those in the US government who provided assistance in securing Eric's release.

This ordeal has taken an incredible physical and emotional toll on all of us, especially Eric. We thank you in advance for respecting our privacy and allowing our family to recover."

I have just received word that Eric has boarded a plane in Nicaragua bound for an undisclosed location.

I cannot thank everyone enough for the phone calls and emails sent to the White House on behalf of Eric.

More news to follow as I receive it.

Eric

In short, call the White House. Do not waste your time calling your Congressman. The decision lies with the President.

It is time to flood the White House switchboard. It should take you no more than 5-10 minutes to call and ask the following:

"What is the President doing to free Eric Volz, an American citizen being held as a political prisoner in Nicaragua?"

Call the White House (202-456-1414).

Call now. Eric's life depends on it.

Dear President Bush,

I'm not sure if you are aware of the case of Eric Volz. Eric Volz is an American citizen and political prisoner in Nicaragua. Last year, Eric's ex-girlfriend was brutally murdered while Eric was in Managua, two hours away from the scene of the crime. Ten witnesses testified on behalf of Eric and his innocence.

Unfortunately, the Nicaraguan media decided to make this a political issue by proclaiming Eric's guilt simply because he is an American. The Nicaraguan media has been successful in demonizing Eric to the point of a lynch mob forming to attack Eric and a U.S. Embassy official before his trial last year. The Nicaraguan judge was obviously intimidated to the point of throwing out all of Eric's witness testimonies and finding Eric guilty. Eric was sentenced to 30 years in jail for a crime he didn't commit, a crime he couldn't have committed.

Over the past year, I along with Eric's family and friends have looked for assistance from the U.S. government in freeing Eric. We have had dozens of conversations with Congressmen and State Department officials. All of the government officials we have heard from believe Eric to be innocent. Yet the American government hasn't so much as lifted a finger to help a citizen being held as a political prisoner in a foreign company.

This week in Nicaragua, an appeals court overturned Eric's conviction and acquitted him. Yet Eric remains in jail.

Once again the Nicaraguan media has inflamed the populace by asking that people "take justice into their own hands". Nicaraguan officials have acquiesced by appealing the acqquital, during which time they intend on jailing Eric indefinitely until the Supreme Court can hear this case.

As an American citizen, I am embarrassed that the U.S. government has done nothing to right this injustice. When Iran took American hostages in 1979 for political reasons, the U.S. government worked hard to release them. The Iran Hostage Crisis was obviously complicated by the volatile situation in the Middle East at the time.

There are no such complicating factors in Nicaragua.

On Independence Day 2006, you said "this country remains a beacon of hope for all who dream of liberty". Quite frankly, this statement rings hollow in light of Eric's situation. A more cynical person might go so far as to say that had Eric been imprisoned in a Middle Eastern country, that the U.S. government would have moved heaven and earth to free him.

I still believe that this country is indeed a beacon of hope for those who dream of liberty and freedom of oppression. President Bush, I ask that you move heaven and earth to free Eric Volz.

Respectfully yours,

Will Hinton
willhinton@gmail.com
404-210-1821

Full details of Eric's situation can be found on my blog at http://www.goodwillhinton.com/topics/eric_volz

For those that would like to sign on in support of this letter, please use the comments to leave your name.

Also, please forward this letter on to anyone you know that could get this to the White House.

Call the White House (202-456-1414). Light up the switchboard. Ask what they are doing to FREE ERIC.

Take action today, before it's too late!

We are asking everyone to contact (a phone call would be more immediate, but follow up with an email if you can!) their elected representatives in the next few hours, to ask them to pressure the Nicaraguan government to carry out Eric's legal release from prison. The reason this is so urgent is that Nicaraguan government offices leave tomorrow for the lengthy holidays... we need the US government to act IMMEDIATELY to compel the Nicaraguan government to honor their own law and release Eric Volz!

Call your representative with the question "What is being done to expedite Eric Volz's release from Nicaraguan custody?"

BE INFORMED!

READ THIS: Associated Press story: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jGlrnMklKMa1DSqmiTxcJLaMvRhwD8TKU66O1

TAKE ACTION: (Will Hinton: I have modified this a bit. Call the White House. Flood the switchboard. Many in Congress and in the State Dept. know about Eric. The White House is the key to making something happen)
White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ or main switchboard: 202-456-1414

Details are changing almost hourly, but here's what we know as of 10:30am Central, December 20th:

Judge Ivette Toruno, who initially convicted Eric for Doris' murder, is required to sign his release papers, but she has created various excuses to avoid doing so.

In the meantime, the original prosecutor of Eric's case (Isolda Ibarra) is attempting to overturn the Appellate Court ruling, and is filing an appeal to the Nicaraguan Supreme Court. She is asking that Eric be held in custody (illegally) until the Supreme Court rules. Typically, Supreme Court cases take years to process.

Nicaraguan law says that the order of the Appellate Court to free Eric should not be overridden by the filing of a Supreme Court appeal, but that Nicaraguan law is being ignored.

If Eric is held, he will certainly be moved back to the penitentiary, and may not be afforded even the minimal protection he had previously - he will be in the gravest of danger. Eric has kidney stones, and is still recovering from intestinal issues and severe asthma, which is why he has been in the prison hospital for more than 2 months now.

This morning, Penitentiary Director Molina dispatched a truck to take Eric back to the prison. This forced his visit with his mother Maggie to be cut short, due to security concerns.

Thanks to the following blogs for linking to this story:
Instapundit
The Agitator
Looking Closer
Common Grounds Online
Conservative Grapevine
American Tradition
white knuckled wanderer
Philosomatic read more »

Here's what we know.

Today, the Nicaraguan Appellate Court ruled 2-1 in favor of Innocence for Eric Volz and demanded his immediate release. In fulfillment of Nicaraguan law, Judge Ivette Toruno, the convicting judge who is required by law to sign the release papers, arranged for Eric's attorney to pick-up the release papers at 2pm this afternoon. However, Toruno left the court at 1:30 and will not come back for the rest of the day. It is unclear as to whether or not she will be in the office tomorrow, as well.

Judge Toruno is currently in contempt of court by refusing to make her appointment and sign the release papers. Eric has been freed, but is still being detained illegally, against the orders of the Appellate Court.

Nicaraguan radio broadcasts have been announcing that the people need to take justice into their own hands, since word of the court's decision. We are more concerned than ever before, for Eric's safety.

(Here is a translated account from LA PRENSA)

It appears as if no one in the judicial, penal and/or immigration systems in Nicaragua is responding to requests by Eric's attorney or by the US Embassy to process Eric's release immediately as ordered by the court.

Eric's mother Maggie will appear on CNN AC360 TONIGHT and The Today Show tomorrow morning in the first hour.

Update: CURRENT PRESS

The Today Show Tuesday 12/18/07 (video)

Anderson Cooper 360 Monday 12/17/07 (waiting for video link)

Both featured videos with Maggie, Eric's mother.

We're still waiting.

November 10, 2007
Day #354 of Eric's imprisonment

We are now in November, the month Doris was senselessly murdered, as well as the start of Eric's unjust arrest and imprisonment. We are only a few weeks shy of marking one full year of this insane experience.

As of this writing there is still no official word from the Appellate Court in Granada, Nicaragua regarding the progress of Eric's appeal. The appeal was filed (within the 6 day period required by law) after Eric's sentencing, February 21. It is unconscionable that the review of this case, with its clarity of evidence, would be held this long. read more »

Here is the latest from Eric...

Day #260 for Eric in prison

Dear Friends,

Out of concern for my safety, my defense team and I have been extremely passive and gracious to those responsible for this injustice. Some might be surprised to know that despite the overwhelming evidence proving my innocence and a growing network of global support, the indicators and nuances we are getting here tell us that my freedom is not getting any closer.

As I enter into my 9th month in prison with no word from the appellate court and with the authorities increasingly violating my rights to defense (see Appendix 1), it has become obvious that an adjustment to our approach is needed. I have waited as long as I can to write this letter, but as a man fighting for his life, I’m left with no other choice. read more »

FREE ERIC VOLZ

What you can do now...

For the past almost eight months as people have heard the story of Eric Volz's arrest and imprisonment, after the look of disbelief, there comes a question: "what can we do?" We struggle to believe, still, that this situation is as dire as it appears, that the chance for Eric to be freed hangs by such thin threads. After all, we understand justice to mean that if mistakes are made, they will ultimately be made right.

We wait together for this to become true. There have been and are still available opportunities to communicate with Eric, and to contribute to the costs of his defense. (go to http://www.friendsofericvolz.com/) read more »

Happy 4th of July! As you are enjoying your freedoms today, did you know that not all Americans are free today?

Did you know that an American is in prison in Nicaragua for a crime he didn't commit?
Did you know that this American is under daily threat of disease or violence from other prisoners?
Did you know that various Congressmen have determined this American to be innocent of the charges he is imprisoned for?

Eric Volz has been in a prison in Nicaragua for over 220 days for a crime he didn't commit. It is an outrage that this man has been the victim of such injustice.

On this day that you celebrate your freedom, please consider doing one of the following to return Eric to freedom:

1. Contact your Congressman/Senator and ask them what they are doing to Free Eric Volz.
2. Email the Nicaraguan Embassy and ask for a quick appeal for Eric.
3. Contact anyone you know in the media and ask them to investigate Eric's case.
4. Forward this post to everyone you know.

For a full compilation of Eric's case and efforts for justice, click here.

MSNBC - 'Murder By The Sea' - THIS Sunday, July 1 at 7p EASTERN / 6pm CENTRAL / 4pm Pacific

MSNBC's "Doc Block" has made their Dateline piece about Eric into a larger documentary called "Murder By The Sea." The feature will run again on this Sunday night, July 1 at 7pm Eastern / 6p Central. Please double-check to confirm your local airtime.

More news about Eric Volz

We send this tribute out on June 21st in memory of Doris, 7 months after she was killed on November 21st.

It has been very hard for Eric to deal with the way Doris has been lost in all this and he has asked us to pay homage to her in this update. He writes: "What should have been the Doris Jimenez case quickly became known as the Eric Volz case. The horror of her murder, as well as the violence and abuse that women face in this region, has been eclipsed by my trial and fight for freedom. I have made a point to mention this in every interview, but have yet to see it published. I will not let people forget the injustice of Doris' murder and once I am free I will make sure that it receives the attention it deserves."

At the end of his first letter from prison, Eric wrote: "Lastly, I would like to remind everyone that all the pain and hardship I've faced...is nothing in comparison to the loss of Doris. She was an amazing person that was loved by everyone. She is deeply missed." Eric continues to grieve the loss of this lovely woman, as do all her friends and family.

This image is one you may have seen published in various media stories about this tragedy; here is where it originated. This is Doris, as she appeared on page 59 in the 1st issue of EP Magazine in 2006. The caption to the right reads: "We are rising in the ranks of power, breaking new ground. Women of Central America"

Part of the mission of EP Magazine, along with promoting conscious living and cultural awareness, was to profile Central American/Caribbean people who are succeeding. In the 1st issue of EP a campaign was launched to encourage the rising strength and influence of Central American women. Doris was a prime example of this NEW WOMAN; putting herself through school, opening her own store, seeking to break the glass ceiling and follow her dreams. In this, we honor her memory. read more »

FATHER'S DAY - JUNE 17, 2007

A note from Jan, Eric's father.

Father's Day for me has become a day for Eric and his sister. Historically, it has been a day when children honor fathers, but in my present state and emotional economy, Father's Day is the day I, as a father, want to honor my children.

Eric carries my father's name, Stanley, as his middle name and my middle name is his first. It is in Eric that I find my greatest pride.

My daughter's middle name is 'Joy' and it has been befitting since the day she was born. She has been the joy of my life from the moment the doctor allowed me to help with her delivery, and I held her in my arms. She is my greatest Joy. read more »

Eric Update - Day #189

The following letter from Eric is one in a series that we will be posting. You will notice by the date he mentions that it takes some time to get correspondence to him.

With regard to the appeal, we have no official information from the Appellate Court as to a date for the hearing. The case file is over 500 pages and is apparently taking the magistrates a significant amount of time to make their analysis and prepare for the hearing.

Please continue to pray for Eric; for his health and well-being. He is in the 7th month of this ordeal and, as you can imagine, it is very taxing for him. read more »

Tony D'Souza has written has written a first-hand account of Eric Volz and his wrongful conviction in Nicaragua in the June issue of Outside Magazine.

"Volz's family quickly disseminated detailed accounts of his alibi—that at least ten witnesses placed him two hours away in Managua the whole time—on a Web site for supporters called FriendsofEricVolz.com. But the people of San Juan had made read more »

Eric Update – May 7, 2007
Day #167

In the flurry of the recent media storm about Eric's situation, it might be easy to assume that there is been enough coverage about his case to fill the insatiable hunger for information. That, though, is not the case, so, we are hopeful that the following will fill in some of the empty spaces.

In mid-April, the Expediente (case file) was transferred from the sentencing judge in Rivas to the Appellate Court in Granada, Nicaragua where it is to be reviewed by 3 Appellate Magistrates. It was our understanding that at the point the Expediente was transferred, a time frame of 6 days would begin in which the file would be reviewed and the hearing held. We now understand that the file must be, in essence, "registered" with the Magistrates, at which time they will begin their review. This has not yet taken place. The Expediente is now essentially in a legal limbo until the Magistrates accept the file for review. Obviously, we are hopeful that this will take place very soon -- waiting for this is very difficult and frustrating! read more »

The CNN Anderson Cooper 360 airing of Eric's story on Monday night received such an overwhelming web response (in the top 5 most viewed stories) that they're updating the story with a LIVE call from Anderson Cooper to Maggie (Eric's mom), on this next Monday night. The show will also include a conversation with a US Embassy spokesperson.

You can see the story at 10p ET / 9p CT / 8p MT / 7p PT. Watch CNN for more information, double-check your local schedule or here for current listings.

We urge you to send this form letter to Fernando Coronel, the Press Director at the Nicaraguan Embassy in Washington:

Fernando.Coronel@embanic.org

To the Honorable Fernando Coronel:

In the spirit of goodwill that exists between many Nicaraguans and Americans, I respectfully write to ask that you to pay considerable attention to the case of Eric Volz. He is an American citizen currently incarcerated in the La Modelo prison, convicted of a crime he did not commit.

Eric's case is currently in the appeal process. As a result, we want to turn your attention to the fact that the justice system is in breach of articles 7 and 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which state, "All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law" and "Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him."

Please help see to it that Eric's case be reviewed fairly and that justice be done. If interested, below is a link to the Declaration of Human Rights: http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/