MANAGUA.- The Sandinista regime of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua announced the release of 1,500 common prisoners, a measure that intentionally excludes the 128 opponents imprisoned “arbitrarily” according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
Rosario Murillo, Ortega’s wife and vice president, stressed that those released – convicted of crimes – are “humble” people and not the “outlaw” opposition members, demonstrating once again the lack of commitment to human rights and justice. In addition, she ignored the recent resolution of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) urging Nicaragua to immediately release 25 opposition members.
The IACHR stressed that the opponents are being detained in a context of criminalization of political dissent without due process guarantees. This request adds to the repeated demands of the international community for the release of all political prisoners in the Central American country, demands that the Ortega regime has systematically ignored.
The human rights organization also demanded that Nicaragua provide information on the whereabouts of Freddy Antonio Quezada and Carlos Alberto Bojorge, who are considered missing. It also requested that political prisoners be allowed immediate contact with their families and lawyers, basic rights that the Ortega regime continues to deny.
Exiled opponents and human rights organizations criticized the move, saying the Ortega regime is using these releases as a facade to divert attention from ongoing political repression and to maintain the appearance of legality.
Repressive measures
The Ortega regime has tightened its grip on Nicaraguan society through a series of repressive measures. Since the 2018 protests, state security forces have been accused of carrying out arbitrary arrests, torture and extrajudicial executions. The Sandinista administration has systematically suppressed civil liberties, shutting down independent media outlets and non-governmental organizations critical of the dictatorship.
Added to these accusations is the denaturalization and forced exile of more than 300 opponents and critics, whom Ortega accuses of treason and of being instruments of an alleged coup d’état sponsored by the United States.
Source: With information from AFP
