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They call on the world to defend the human rights of political prisoners in Nicaragua

They call on the world to defend the human rights of political prisoners in Nicaragua

Relatives of more than 200 Nicaraguan opponents considered “political prisoners” called on the international community this Wednesday to be “more belligerent” in the defense of human rights in the country, and warned that the “impunity” of President Daniel Ortega could feed authoritarianism in America.

“We call on the international community to be more belligerent in the defense of freedoms and rights in Nicaragua, because Ortega’s impunity is a breeding ground for the emergence of authoritarianism throughout the continent,” the relatives highlighted. it’s a statement.

The call comes in the context of the Nicaraguan crisis that began in 2018, when the government carried out armed attacks against anti-government demonstrations that left hundreds of prisoners, dead and wounded.

President Ortega, who maintains that he defended himself against an alleged “coup d’état” attempt, has referred to the convicts as “Yankee imperialist sons of bitches.”

Related news: Relatives of political prisoners ask for more pressure on Ortega to release them

According to relatives, the more than 200 “political prisoners”, recognized by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), constantly suffer violations of their rights in at least five prisons and a police jail in Nicaragua.

“43 of our relatives have spent more than 1,000 days in jail deprived of their liberty just for having raised their voice against the abuses of the regime and demanding freedom, democracy and justice for the crimes committed since 2018, being subjected to torture and cruel treatment. cruel, inhuman and permanently degrading”, indicated the relatives.

POPE FRANCIS AND “FRIENDLY COUNTRIES” CALLED TO DEFEND HUMAN RIGHTS

In their statement, the relatives of the convicts urged Pope Francis to accompany their “demand and demand an end to the repression, which this time has extended to members of the Catholic Church, imprisoning a bishop and members of the clergy, forcing the exile other priests, and persecuting Catholics in the country who oppose authoritarianism.”

In addition, they made a special call to “friendly countries that have shown commitment to the struggle for democracy and freedom of Nicaraguans, such as the United States, the European Union, Canada, countries of the Southern Cone, etc., to reinforce the pressure, in order to achieve the reestablishment of democratic freedoms”.

Related news: Colombia would have proposed to abide by The Hague ruling in exchange for Ortega releasing political prisoners

They also attacked the Nicaraguan Army, whom they accused of “acting in complicity with the police and paramilitaries” in “the perpetuated massacres.”

“A strong blow to the finances of the Military Social Welfare Institute would force them to rethink their alliance with the dictatorship,” they argued.

The sociopolitical crisis that Nicaragua is going through is the greatest since the 1980s, also with Ortega in the presidential chair.

The situation worsened in the elections last November, when Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, were re-elected as president and vice president, with seven of his rivals in prison and two in exile.

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