June 15, 2009 (Washington, D.C.) - Eric Volz, an American citizen whose sham conviction on murder charges in Nicaragua and subsequent release made headlines around the world last year, will file an emergency petition against the Republic of Nicaragua with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, June 16 at 9:30am.

The petition asks the Inter-American Commission to issue an order terminating the Nicaraguan government’s unlawful and improper efforts to have his conviction reinstated by the Supreme Court of Nicaragua. The petition also seeks a declaration that Volz’s human rights were violated by the Nicaraguan court system. click here for more…

“I believe in justice and in the rule of law,” said Eric Volz. “I lost more than a year of my life for a crime the Nicaraguan government and court system knew I did not commit. What happened to me should not happen again to anyone. The courts exist to protect the innocent, and that is why I am asking the Inter-American Commission to act.”

Read entire press release here.

One of the most disturbing aspects of this case is that the trial court excluded or discounted alibi evidence from 7 independent witnesses who were with Volz in Managua when the murder occurred in a town two hours away.  Cell tower and instant messaging records even confirmed his whereabouts. Simply put, Eric Volz is an innocent man.

More depressing is that Eric Volz was convicted solely on testimony from a man originally charged with the crime.  However, the original suspect was granted immunity when he agreed to testify against Volz. That inherent conflict of interest alone would cause any third-party observer to realize this is a travesty of justice. Nevertheless, the Nicaraguan government asked the Supreme Court of Nicaragua to reinstate his conviction even after a successful appeal.

Too often we take our American Justice system for granted. Let us hope that Eric Volz is released as soon as possible. If you want to get more involved in helping Eric, visit http://www.friendsofericvolz.com/ .