For the first time, her sister Azucena, along with her mother and two friends, visited her at the Magdalena prison in Buenos Aires province. Higui gave them this letter to thank the many people who echoed her plea for acquittal and freedom. This week, the San Martín Court of Appeals is scheduled to decide on her release, following her request for extraordinary release. On Sunday, June 11, Higui's mother, Susana Reales, and one of her sisters, Azucena, visited Eva Analía Higui de Jesús for the first time at the Magdalena prison. This came after a busy week in the case: on Wednesday, Higui turned 43 and left Magdalena for a few hours to go to the San Martín courthouse for an expert examination. On Thursday, her lawyer, Hermida Leyenda, met with three judges from the San Martín Court of Appeals. It was the first time the courts reviewed the actions taken by Prosecutor Germán Muñoz Weigel of Malvinas Argentinas Prosecutor's Office No. 25 and Judge Elena Gabriela Persichini Marco of the Guarantee Court No. 6. "We were with her yesterday. All things considered, she seemed to be in good spirits. She was happy because she's started studying and because she plays soccer on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I think she's somehow developed a thick skin to try to feel better. We also saw that she's thinner. And she's still waiting for her situation to be resolved, either through release or house arrest," her sister Azucena told Presentes. Before saying goodbye to her family, Higui gave them a letter addressed to the people who mobilized and continue to mobilize to demand justice for her. It was also a response to those who sent her their own letters to encourage and support her. She has been deprived of her freedom since October 16, when members of a gang tried to rape her "correctively" for being a lesbian . In an attempt to defend herself, she fatally wounded one of them.

The letter from Magdalena prison

  Azucena uploaded the letter to the Facebook page where she announces updates on the case and her sister's situation. On two notebook pages, Higui expresses her gratitude, describes her life behind bars, asks for forgiveness, and expresses hope for her release. "Thank you for existing, friends. I don't know what else to say. Thank you for your love. We'll be together soon, and I'll raise your banners as you raised mine," she wrote. “My sister is very grateful to everyone who supports her from the outside, and especially to Carolina Abregú, who was the first to help her make her story known. She’s also grateful to her lawyer and all the organizations that are mobilizing on her behalf,” her sister says. Among the topics they discussed during the visit was the possibility of her awaiting trial while free. That will be decided this week.

"Higui is a survivor"

Abregú, former head of the Gender Advocacy Office in Malvinas Argentinas and now a member of the feminist group Furia Feminista, told Presentes: “Higui has started studying and is participating in some workshops. It's a little reassuring to see her doing better, but deep down, every day Higui remains in detention hurts me more. I'm also pained by the many demands that should be being made for Higui. And I want to believe in people, that these demands will be made because Higui is a survivor. And if we don't demand justice for what she went through, we can't demand justice for other cases: all the violence perpetrated against her. That's why we hope for some kind of response and we're waiting with bated breath.”

Why this week is crucial for their freedom

"Thursday was the first time Higui's case reached the Court of Appeals. What does this mean? It means that before, judges had never opposed what the judge said. Nobody questioned anything. Now, for the first time, the Justice system will review what was done," Higui's lawyer, Hermida Leyenda, told Presentes this morning. Since the end of last year, various organizations have been denouncing irregularities in the case, which already includes three different files: the release from prison, the request for house arrest (which is still being processed in parallel) and the case for the act labeled so far as "simple homicide". ]]>