Thirty-eight MEPs demand that the Nicaraguan president, Daniel Ortega, grant the “house arrest” regime to all political prisoners over 60 years of age, according to a letter sent by the Europeans to the Sandinista president. In addition, the parliamentarians request that, “to avoid a second death in prison – in reference to the death of Hugo Torres -“, ”medical care” be given to “particularly vulnerable” prisoners of conscience.
The European deputies begin their letter, sent this Monday, with a frequent indication in previous letters or resolutions within the European Parliament. “We write to express our concern about the deteriorating and unacceptable human rights situation in Nicaragua.”
The letter was an initiative of the Luxembourg MEP Tilly Metz, from the political group Los Verdes, and was signed by 37 other parliamentarians from various countries and political groups. Among the signatories are: Leopoldo López Gil, from the Popular Party; Nikolaj Villumsen, of the European United Left; Soraya Rodríguez Ramos, from the Renovar Europa group; Giuliano Pisapia, of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats; Ladislav Ilčić, of the European Conservatives and Reformists; Maria Manuel Leitão Marques, of the Socialists; and Javier Nart, from Renew Europe and a former Sandinista guerrilla.
Since 2018, MEPs have approved six resolutions on the Nicaraguan situation. In all they have condemned the repression of the Ortega regime and his wife and Vice President Rosario Murillo, and have demanded the release of political prisoners.
“We are extremely concerned about the detention conditions of political prisoners in Nicaragua, with reports of arbitrary arrests, harassment, inhuman and degrading treatment, which in some cases amount to torture; and that violate international human rights law,” they point out.
For MEPs, the trials against these prisoners have been “illegal” and “do not respect the minimum standards of due process”, for which they “reject arbitrary trials and illegal sentences”, and also ask for “the nullity of all judicial processes against him, including sentences.
“We demand the immediate and unconditional release of the 169 political prisoners arbitrarily detained for having exercised their political rights,” they stress.
Death of Hugo Torres
MEPs stress that “although they expect (Ortega) to release all political prisoners”, they are “very concerned about the life and physical and mental integrity” of prisoners of conscience.
“We are deeply shocked by the death, on February 12, 2022, of Jorge Hugo Torres Jimenez, detained in El Chipote. His family requested his release for humanitarian reasons, but this request was ignored”, the parliamentarians remind Ortega.
Torres, a retired brigadier general, had been in prison since June 2021 and died at the age of 73, after more than two months in which the dictatorship of Ortega and Murillo kept hidden their physical whereabouts and health condition.
The MEPs warn that “to avoid a second death in prison, they demand immediate action and medical attention in the cases of particularly vulnerable political prisoners.”
They warn that “the state of health of Victor Hugo Tinocoalso incarcerated in the El Chipote prison, is alarming”, for which “he is at risk of death, as a consequence of his high blood pressure, heart rhythm disorder and low white blood cells”.
Tinoco, 69 years old and former Vice Foreign Minister of Nicaragua in the 1980s, has been unjustly imprisoned since June 13. The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (Cenidh) warned last March that the opponent’s life “is in danger” and demanded their immediate release.
Health of political prisoners
The MEPs indicate that “in similar health problems” are the political prisoners Violeta Granera, 70 years old, and Eveling Pinto, 63 years old, and the prisoner of conscience Eliseo de Jesus Castro Baltodano, 57 years old.
“We are also concerned —they continue— about the health situation of the following political prisoners, whose families have publicly denounced their physical deterioration and lack of medical care: Pedro Joaquín Chamorro, 70 years old; Bernardo Ramos, 67 years old; Nidia Barbosa, 66 years old; Dora María Téllez, 66 years old; Harry Chavez, 65; Baltazar Davila, 65 years old; Irving Larios, 63; and Jose Adán Aguerri, 60 years old”.
After listing these political prisoners, the Europeans ask Ortega to “grant house arrest to all people over 60 years of age”, just as they did with the prisoners of conscience “Arturo Cruz, Francisco Aguirre Sacasa, José Bernard Pallais Arana , Edgar Parrales and Mauricio Diaz”.
The Ortega dictatorship has illegally arrested at least 21 citizens over 60 years of age, of these 15 are in various prisons in the country.
“The families report that there are several political prisoners both in the El Chipote prison and in other penitentiary centers who are presenting symptoms related to covid-19 and do not receive adequate medical treatment. This must be guaranteed immediately”, they highlight.
family visits
“Likewise, we call on you to guarantee decent conditions of detention and, in particular, we advocate for the release of an isolation cell of human rights defender Tamara Dávila41 years old, who has been detained for more than nine months, without any contact with anyone except the prison guards (El Chipote).”
“Finally, we also ask that you allow regular and scheduled access to legal representatives and family visits, especially in the case of children of political prisoners. We hear that minor sons and daughters have been restricted from any contact with their fathers and mothers, which is not acceptable and is a serious threat to their development”, they point out.
The MEPs mention to Ortega that, “as a signatory State, Nicaragua is obliged to comply with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”.
“However,” they continue, “for all the reasons outlined above, it is clear that his regime is ignoring a resolution of the Human Rights Council, in which it asks the State of Nicaragua to address human rights violations.”
