(CNN Spanish) -
The Nicaraguan government granted the benefit of family coexistence to 800 detainees who were serving their sentences in various prisons in the country, according to the official website 19 Digital reported on March 25.
The following day, the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners and Family Members, reported the release of only 3 of the more than 120 detained opponents reported by civil organizations.
The Ministry of the Interior did not explain the criteria for selecting the beneficiaries of Family Coexistence and limited themselves to informing that it was a State policy in favor of family reunification.
MIRA: UN demands electoral reforms from the Ortega government in Nicaragua
During 2020, at least 7,815 inmates were released, according to reports from 19 Digital.
Some 1,700 went out prior to Holy Week, 2,815 on Mother's Day, 1,500 in the framework of the 1979 Sandinista Revolution celebration, 800 for national holidays and 1,004 before Christmas.
Brenda Gutiérrez, coordinator of the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners, informed CNN that the opponents released are: Pedro Augusto Morales Torrres-Matagalpa, Wilmer Valdivia Chavarría de Jinotega and Byron Josué López Carballo-Catarina, the latter with 48 hours of detention.
"These three were released, it is already confirmed by their relatives," Gutiérrez said.
advertising
Alfredo Torres, an opposition protester who is in exile, informed CNN this Friday that his brother Pedro Morales Torres was already with his family, after spending several months in jail.
Torres reported the news on his Twitter account.
"After being imprisoned by the Orteguista regime for almost a year, my brother was released on March 26."
Torres added that his brother "served his sentence on March 8 but has been released to this day."
He claims that his brother had been indicted for the alleged crime of robbery with intimidation and had been captured in March 2020.
MORE: Nicaraguan medical associations demand universal vaccination and transparency one year after the first case of covid-19 in the country
For her part, the independent lawyer Yonarki Martínez through her Twitter account reported this Friday - without mentioning details or legal figure used by the authorities - that three opponents were out of prison and added:
“We hope in due time the release of more than 120 political prisoners ", expressed Martínez.
The release of detained opponents has been a requirement of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in its reports and in its most recent resolution, approved this week.
The government of Daniel Ortega does not recognize the existence of political prisoners.