The director of the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (Cenidh), Vilma Núñez, described as a “torture session” the political trial that began this Monday, against a group of seven religious who were kidnapped on August 19, 2022 for accompanying and praying together Monsignor Rolando Álvarez. The Catholic leaders remained for 16 days under siege by the Ortega Police, in the Matagalpa Episcopal Curia.
According to the lawyer, the priests, seminarians and laity face today, January 23, their impeachment.
Related news: Impeachment trial begins against Monsignor Rolando Álvarez
«We do not consider —like Cenidh— that what is happening and what has happened are true and legal trials, but that they are practically scenarios where innocent people are criminalized and tortured and respect for the laws and rights are totally disregarded. human rights,” said Núñez in an interview with Article 66.
On the other hand, he indicated that as human rights defenders they are “expectant” because it became known that At the last minute, the judicial authorities allowed the private lawyers of the religious to enter.
However, he pointed out that this action does not generate “any expectations, because no matter how hard they try and how much they know and argue legally in favor of their defendants, it is definitely a scenario of torture, where no argument is valid.”
“We believe that at this time the result is unknown (…) what they are being subjected to one more session of torture in the facilities of the so-called Judicial Complex,” stressed the human rights defender.
“There are no higher expectations”
Núñez stressed that based on the background and on the “macabre signs” of the justice of the Daniel Ortega regime, there are no greater expectations, “however we continue to fight, we continue to demand the freedom of our priests.”
“I wish we could go out to the streets today to meet our bishops, priests and all the people who are hostages,” said the director of Cenidh, considering a difficult scenario due to the repression that persists in the country.
Related news: Justice of Ortega accuses priests and seminarians who are imprisoned in “El Nuevo Chipote”
Faced with this disputed judicial process, Cenidh questioned that “what is happening today with these prisoners of conscience of the Ortega Murillo regime? Is he committing another of his infamies? Are we going to witness it passively?
“We demand immediate release for Monsignor Rolando Álvarez and all the imprisoned priests,” the organization concluded through its Twitter account.
Those prosecuted by the Ortega regime are the first and second vicars of the Cathedral of San Pedro, in Matagalpa, Jose Luis Diaz Y Sadiel Eugarrios, respectively; as well as the priests Ramiro Tijerino—Rector of the John Paul II University—and Father Raul Vega Gonzalez.
Seminarians face the same situation Darvin Leiva Y Melkin Rye Sequeiralike the cameraman Sergio Cardenas, those who remained with Monsignor Álvarez in the episcopal see since August 4.
Related news: Father Edwing Román: Priests and laity are imprisoned “for being witnesses of the truth”
Vilma Núñez is convinced that the accused religious will be sentenced by the Ortega justice system. “Unfortunately and painfully there are no signs that point to a different solution,” she said.
The dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo Ortega keeps 14 religious men behind bars, accusing them of common crimes or of alleged “conspiracy against the homeland”, thus adding to the list of more than 230 political prisoners.
