Spain’s longest serving prisoner is now a step closer to being granted a pardon.
Manuel Pinteño, a 51 year old man from Elda, Elche, has been in prison for a total of 32 years after being found guilty of theft and several attempts to escape justice. He has been serving time since the age of 19.

The sentence indeed seems harsh given that he has shown no blood crime nor has been convicted of rape or any sexual crime, and if the pardon is not granted he faces remaining behind bars until 2056.

Under the Spanish justice system if he was serving only one term, he could not spend more than 30 years in prison, but in this case he has three separate 18 year sentences.

Now the same judge who handed down one of the sentences after Manuel took part in a prison riot, Luis Segovia, has studied the case and declared he supports and will apply for a pardon. He noted that in the prison riot Manuel had calmed down his fellow prisoners after a prison officer died in what were three days of riots in the Foncalent jail.

Now Manuel, who is the father of seven, has to wait for the pardon hearing to be officially heard in court.

MANUEL PINTEÑO FREE NOW!!!
INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY!!!!!

more info in spanish: www.tokata.ateneoalmargen.org