Roja-John Stephenson and his brother Ronell Stephenson have been imprisoned in Ecuador for a crime they say they did not commit.
During an interview with Blavity published on Oct. 23, the brothers said they were framed for murder by their neighbors and are seeking justice.
On Mar. 11, 2017, around 5 a.m., the police invaded the Stephenson brothers’ farm, where they ran a small resort and grew fruit and vegetables. The police said the neighbors had reported that the brothers were growing cocaine.
The neighbors were with the police during the raid on the Stephenson brother’s property and began digging in the dirt. The neighbors allegedly “found” two bodies buried on the property, unbeknownst to the brothers. The group accused the Stephenson brothers of the murderers, and they were arrested.
The Stephenson brothers were convicted and are serving a 34-year sentence in the Cárcel de Turi in Cuenca prison, Ecuador. The brothers began an Instagram page in an attempt to garner support in their pursuit of justice.
“Hello everyone, Our names are Ronell Stephenson and Roja-John Stephenson. We are American brothers whose dreams of living abroad quickly turned into a nightmare on March 11, 2017 when we were imprisoned in Ecuador for a crime we did not commit. We have been wrongfully convicted of murder and we are serving 34 years in prison.”
“We have created this page to raise awareness about the injustice, corruption and extortion that we have experienced. We will be using this platform to FINALLY tell our story and make our voices heard. We will no longer remain silent as the system has failed us. We need our freedom. We need justice to be served. Please follow this page as we share our story. Click the link in our bio to hear our story firsthand. 🙏🏾✊🏾.”
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Roja-John Stephenson, 37, moved to Ecuador in search of a more simple life a few years after graduating from college. In 2013 with the help of his father, he bought land in Cuenca, Ecuador and opened a tourism resort that catered to English-speaking travelers. His brother Ronell, now 28, soon moved to Ecuador, and the brothers ran the inn and grew fruits and vegetables. They were also about to begin a partnership with Tabasco.
“I purchased animals, I had cows,” said Roja-John Stephenson. “I had just recently started a project with the Tabasco company in America to grow pepper on three hectares (six acres).
The brothers are incarcerated in an extremely dangerous prison. The Cárcel de Turi is one of the prisons where 79 inmates were killed on Feb. 23 during an uprising, five of whom were decapitated. The rebellion happened across four prisons and is believed to be gang-related. Inmates were armed with chainsaws, guns and knives.
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The brothers believe they were framed by neighboring families upset with their prosperity and the interruption of their community. The only assistance they received from the U.S. government was a list of lawyers’ names in Ecuador. Having had little help from the U.S. government, they hope that by getting their story out, they will be exonerated and set free.
“The people that committed these crimes need to be put in prison,” said Ronell. “All we want is our freedom.”
