The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (Cenidh) questioned the silence that the authorities of the Nicaraguan Catholic Church have maintained in the face of the repressive wave of the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo against priests.
Nicaraguan justice has imprisoned 15 priests or laymen linked to the Church, whom it accuses of common crimes and, for the most part, of course undermining national integrity or spreading false news, protected by laws that Daniel Ortega created in 2020 to pressure and repress opponents.
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“Why does the high hierarchy of the Catholic Church remain silent in the face of so much repression exercised against priests and faithful?”, the organization reproached through its Twitter account.
Regarding the imprisonment of Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, accused of the alleged crimes of conspiracy to undermine national integrity and propagation of false news, Cenidh once again demanded his immediate release.
At the same time, he demanded that the Nicaraguan dictatorship reveal the place where the bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa is being held captive. “Where is Monsignor Álvarez? In what supposed domicile is he located? », He highlighted.
No date for trial against Monsignor Álvarez
Another of the questions from the group of human rights defenders is that the Ortega regime has not reported the date of the trial against Monsignor Álvarez. “Why didn’t they set a trial date,” they reproached.
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“Are they going to keep him in indefinite kidnapping condition? (…) We demand that the Ortega Murillo regime release him immediately, because he is innocent,” they insisted.
Álvarez Lagos, 56, is the first bishop arrested and accused since Ortega returned to power in Nicaragua in 2007. The hierarch, also apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Estelí, was kidnapped early Friday, August 19, from the Curia episcopal of Matagalpa, by police agents.
The operation was carried out after having him confined for 15 days along with four priests, two seminarians and a cameraman, who are still imprisoned in “El Nuevo Chipote.”
