The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (CorteIDH) on Tuesday asked Nicaragua to study “alternative measures to deprivation of liberty” for a dozen detainees in the wake of the anti-government protests of 2018.
The Court demanded provisional measures in favor of these twelve detainees, as well as five others who were already released on Monday in a group of 100 prisoners released in Nicaragua.
In its resolution on Tuesday, the Court asks the Government of Daniel Ortega to “evaluate, immediately, the granting of alternative measures to the deprivation of liberty, in accordance with its internal regulations and inter-American standards” for twelve prisoners.
They are Kevin Rodrigo Espinoza, Cristhian Rodrigo Fajardo, Yubrank Miguel Suazo, Edwin Jose Carcache, Medardo Mairena, Mario Lener Fonseca, Ricardo Baltodano, Miguel Mora, Lucia Pineda, Amaya Eva Coppens, Olesia Auxiliadora Muñoz and Ireland Undina Jeréz.
It also urges the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to confirm the release of the other five beneficiaries of the measures: María Adilia Peralta, Jaime Ramón Ampié, Julio José Ampié, Reynaldo Lira and Tania Verónica Muñoz.
The Court interceded on behalf of these 17 people at the request of the IACHR, which last week warned that its “situation of risk” in the La Modelo and La Esperanza prisons had “intensified”.
The IACHR defined them as “student leaders, social leaders, peasants, journalists and human rights defenders” with a “leadership role” in opposing Ortega.
In this Tuesday’s resolution, the IACHR gave Nicaragua a deadline of June 1 to report on the measures adopted to comply with the decision and urged the State to facilitate a visit by the 17 beneficiaries.
With the most recent release, 336 persons imprisoned by, according to the Government, “committed crimes against common security and public tranquility” in relation to the 2018 protests have already received measures such as house arrest.
The Ortega government recognizes a total of 468 defendants – of whom 132 are still imprisoned – for these protests, although the opposition raises the figure of what it considers “political prisoners” to 809. (EFEUSA) .-
