The Tucuman Justice granted house arrest with electronic ankle brace to Marcelo “Pichón” Segura, accused of serious aggravated injuries, after attacking the deputy Federico Pelli in Tucumán.
At a previous hearing to bring charges, the Justice had ordered the defendant's preventive detention and his immediate transfer to the Benjamín Paz prison, a prison unit recently inaugurated in the province.
At that time, the intervening prosecutor, Miguel Varela, had based the need for the measure on the existence of procedural risks, including possible interference in the investigation, the identification of potential participants and the recovery of a mobile phone that Segura himself claimed to have lost during the incident.
In the midst of a political climate marked by fierce disputes and growing demands for public order, the Tucuman Justice made a decision that generated controversy: it granted the benefit of house imprisonment to Marcelo “Pichón” Segura, accused of having carried out a violent attack against a national deputy from LaFreedomAdvances.
The fact, which had already caused shock due to the political violence exercised against an elected representative, now adds a new chapter after the decision of the intervening judge, who decided to mitigate preventive detention, allowing him to carry it out at home with an electronic ankle brace and under judicial control.
This is the case involving the leader Marcelo “Pichón” Segura and the libertarian deputy Federico Pelli, who was attacked last March 11 in the town ofLa Madrid, south of Tucumán, while participating in a solidarity activity with other leaders of the ruling party.According to the resolution adopted at an oral hearing held this Tuesday, the magistrate complied with the request of Segura's defense, based on medical reports that prove that the defendant suffers from hypertension and diabetes. These health conditions motivated the modification of the detention regime, with the approval of the prosecution, which did not object to the proposal.
Marcelo “Pichón” Segura and the deputy Federico Pelli in Tucumán. Until the time of the effective placement of the electronic ankle brace, the Justice ordered that the accused remain at his home in the capital of Tucuman in surprise police custody.
In addition, the original four-month period of the coercive measure was maintained, although under the domestic modality.
The decision was rejected by the complaint, which represents Deputy Pelli, considering that the seriousness of the act merited the continuation of preventive detention in a prison unit.
The episode that gave rise to the cause occurred when Pelli and other leaders of La Libertad Avanza were trying to provide donations to families affected by floods caused by the overflowing of the Marapa and San Francisco rivers.
In this context, when they tried to cross Route 157 to reach the affected area, they were intercepted by a group led by Segura.
According to the accusation and audiovisual records released on social networks, the exchange became tense. At that time, Pelli questioned the assailant with the phrase: “Who are you to let go?” , after which he received a direct header in the face.
The impact caused a nasal fracture, bleeding and brain trauma, injuries that required immediate medicalattention, hospital observation and subsequent surgical intervention.
The medical reports included in the file confirmed the seriousness of the clinical condition, which led to Segura being charged with the crime of serious injuries aggravated by malevolence, a qualification that reflects the intentionality and the violent nature of the attack.
However, in this new instance, the Public Prosecutor's Office did not object to the request for house arrest, while the defense insisted that the defendant's health conditions made his stay in prison incompatible.
The Tucuman Justice granted house arrest with electronic ankle brace to Marcelo “Pichón” Segura.
The benefit finally granted establishes strict conditions: a ban on leaving the home, electronic monitoring, permanent control and police surveillance until the device is actually installed
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For its part, the complaint, represented by lawyer Juan Colombres Garmendia, reiterated its disagreement with the easing of the measure, stressing that violence against a national deputy cannot be relativised in a State governed by law.
The case is still under investigation, with the current charge of serious aggravated injuries against Segura. Justice must now move forward in fully clarifying the fact, determining if there were other perpetrators involved and defining the definitive procedural situation of the accused
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At the same time, the case brings back to the table a substantive debate: respect for institutionality, the defense of representative democracy and the need to ensure that acts of political violence do not go unpunished in Argentina, which seeks to consolidate profound structural change.
