(CNN Spanish) –– The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (Cenidh) condemned this Friday what it calls "a new escalation of repression, harassment, persecution and arbitrary detentions by the government" against released politicians and their families.
Through its Twitter account, the human rights body said that "it received information on 3 recaptures: William Balmaceda, Kennis Vargas and Bryan Alemán."
🔴URGENTE @cenidh CONDEMNS the new escalation of repression, harassment, persecution and arbitrary detentions by the government against political prisoners and their families. @cenidh received information on 3 recaptures; William Balmaceda, Kennis Vargas and Brýan Alemán. pic.twitter.com/rKGunRlrJy
- Cenidh (@cenidh) August 14, 2020
A relative of Balmaceda, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals, told CNN that the police arrived on Friday morning at a gym located in a northern Managua neighborhood, where Balmaceda and the former opposition prisoner Alemán exercise.
The family member added that the latter was arrested and that he was allegedly taken to the police station in District VI, while Balmaceda managed to escape. However, according to the relative, upon arriving at his home, Balmaceda was surprised by agents of a patrol who ordered him to leave the house and took him away.
CNN consulted the National Police on the causes of detention of these citizens, but for the moment we have not received a response.
According to his relatives, Balmaceda had been detained in March for one day and was detained between September 2018 and February 2019, after participating in protests against the government and expressing his opinions on social networks. The Prosecutor's Office charged Balmaceda for the alleged crimes of terrorism, illegal possession of firearms, fire, damage and exposure of people to danger. Family members deny all these facts.
After being released, Balmaceda was frequently visited by the police, according to what he himself denounced on his social networks.
Cenidh demanded "that the Ortega Murillo regime stop these harassments and recaptures, at the same time it demands that the physical and psychological integrity of these people and their families be respected."
According to monitoring by the Blue and White Unit, which is part of the opposition National Coalition, between August 13 and 14, 3 released politicians were arrested. In addition to the two reported this Friday, Kennis Vargas was arrested on Thursday and, according to the Blue and White Unit, he was taken to the Directorate of Judicial Aid in Managua. The police have not yet clarified the causes.
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