Judge Nadia Camila Tardencilla Rodríguez, head of the Second Criminal District Court of Managua, sentenced the former diplomat and prisoner of conscience of the Ortega regime, Edgard Parrales, to eight years in prison: five for “conspiracy to undermine national integrity ” and three years for “propagation of false news”, in addition to 500 days of work, equivalent to 36,000 cordobas, confirmed CONFIDENTIAL.
Parrales, 79 years old and who is under house arrest, was found guilty on April 26 in a hearing held at the Judicial Assistance Directorate (DAJ), known as El Chipote. The Police transferred him from his house, put him in a cell, forced him to dress in a prison uniform and tied his hands with bridles, denounced the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (Cenidh) on that occasion.
During the trial, the former diplomat participated as a witness and claimed to be innocent. “I am endorsed by a history of life and commitment in the defense of Nicaragua,” said the former Nicaraguan representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), during the first Sandinista government in the 1980s.
His capture —on Monday, November 22, 2021— He was part of the last wave of repression of the Ortega regime against the opposition in the context of the general elections of 2021, which lacked political competition. Parrales was detained for three months in El Chipote, where some thirty civic leaders, politicians, students, peasants and human rights defenders remain under precarious conditions.
The confinement exacerbated his pre-existing health problems, so the regime decided to move him to his home, where his current state of health is unknown. On April 4, the Cenidh warned that “house arrest is not a guarantee of health and life for Dr. Edgard Parrales”, since the judge does not authorize the entry of his doctors to provide him with adequate treatment and carry out tests. that “guarantee your life”.
“Dr. Edgard Parrales is in danger. We demand that the Ortega Murillo regime release him immediately, before the damage is irreparable, if he does not do so and does not allow specialized medical attention, he will be responsible for what may happen to him, ”said the human rights organization.
With the conviction of Parrales, there are 55 of a total of 68 people captured in 2021, who have a final sentence, according to a registry of CONFIDENTIAL based on own data and provided by the Mechanism for the Recognition of Political Prisoners.
Next May 10 will be the reading of the sentence of the former directors of the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (Cosep), and prisoners of conscience, Michael Healy and Alvaro Vargasfor whom the Prosecutor’s Office of the Daniel Ortega regime asks for thirteen and nine years in prison, respectively.