The dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo keeps 36 political prisoners over the age of 60 under house arrest or in prisons, according to the November update of the Mechanism for the Recognition of Political Prisoners; six are women and 30 men.
The Be Human campaign warned that the confinement of older adults is a “latent threat to their lives.” In prison they are subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, according to complaints from relatives and local and international human rights organizations.
“The imprisonment of 36 people over the age of 60 in #Nicaragua is a latent threat to their lives. It is urgent that the State comply with international and national standards, for the respect of the rights of all as human beings, “he warned.
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In prison they live under prison conditions that are incompatible with human dignity, since they do not receive timely medical attention for problems of hypertension, asthma attacks and depressive states. The relatives have repeatedly requested that, until they are released, the Mandela Rules be put into practice for inmates.
The stress of being incarcerated has caused them a lot of weight loss and skin diseases; gastric problems, hypertension; They do not have access to medicine, pandemic protection material, or reading material.
Some older adults suffer from sleep apnea, fungal infections due to cell moisture, skin depigmentation, dental problems, circulation problems, cardiac problems, blood pressure problems, memory loss, back injuries, among others.
Law 720, the Senior Adult Law, and the Criminal Procedure Code (CPP) protect people aged 60 and over. According to the laws of the Republic, they should be benefited from the house by jail or house arrest regime when the judicial process is carried out or when there is a final sentence. Only 11 of the 20 detainees are under house arrest.
Subsection 13 of Law 720, Older Adult Law indicates that those over 60 years of age are guaranteed before the competent judges or courts “a simple process, with priority, speed, free of charge and immediacy, with due procedural guarantees, which protects them against acts that violate or may violate their rights rights and fundamental freedoms”.
The Nicaraguan Criminal Procedure Code (CPP) explains that the substitution of preventive detention for home detention must be decided by the judge hearing the case, but these respond to the interests of the dictatorial couple.
