Nicaragua releases over 200 political prisoners and sends them to the US
The Nicaraguan government released more than 200 political prisoners, many of whom arrived in the United States on Thursday, according to officials, following years of repression by the country's President Daniel Ortega.
The authoritarian leader has jailed dozens of opposition figures and activists, particularly in the lead up to the last elections in November of 2021.
Judge Octavio Rothschuh Andino announced the release of at least 222 inmates by the Nicaraguan penitentiary system at a press conference on Thursday, saying several were already en route to the US.
"The deportees have been found guilty of treason and charged with serious crimes, they are forever banned from public office and from competing in elections," he added.
According to US State Department spokesperson Ned Price, the decision to release the individuals, some of whom had spent years in prison, was "a unilateral decision that the Nicaraguan government took."
Each of the individuals who left Nicaragua "voluntarily consented to travel," and "there were two individuals who, on their own volition, chose not to travel to the United States," Price said.
Among the released prisoners is one American, according to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who welcomed their move, calling it a product of American diplomacy.
"The release of these individuals, one of whom is a U.S. citizen, by the Government of Nicaragua marks a constructive step towards addressing human rights abuses in the country and opens the door to further dialogue between the United States and Nicaragua regarding issues of concern," Blinken said. Read More…
