Nicaraguan Judicial Branch orders trial against manager of La Prensa newspaper and three opposition leaders | CNN

Nicaragua adds 33 opponents arrested in election year 3:44

(CNN Spanish) -

Juan Lorenzo Holmann Chamorro, the general manager of the newspaper

La Prensa

, will be tried on charges of laundering money, property and assets "in accordance with article 282 of the penal code, to the detriment of Nicaraguan society and the State of Nicaragua, "the Public Ministry reported this Thursday through a statement.

The court order against the manager of the oldest newspaper in Nicaragua was issued during an initial hearing this Wednesday by a judge that the Public Ministry did not identify.

The Police arrested Holmann Chamorro on August 14 in an investigation for alleged economic crimes, after the raid of the newspaper La Prensa.

Two days later, the Judiciary accepted the request for 90 days in prison to expand the investigations against him.

Family members and lawyers rejected the accusations.

Through an article published this Thursday in La Prensa, Holmann's lawyers and family reacted "surprised" after the opening of the trial in a secret initial hearing.

The lawyers consider that he faces a "flawed criminal process" and hope that the right to defense will be guaranteed.

Along with Holmann, the Public Ministry reported that at the initial hearing, trial orders were also presented against the lawyer and former presidential candidate by the Citizen Alliance Noel Vidaurre, the youth leader José Alejandro Quintanilla and the lawyer Roger Reyes.

These last two are leaders of the opposition Blue and White National Unit, whom the prosecution accuses of "conspiracy to undermine national integrity, in accordance with articles 410 and 412 of the penal code, to the detriment of Nicaraguan society and the State of Nicaragua ".

CNN tried to reach defense attorneys for the three opposition leaders referred to trial, but so far they have not responded.

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Vidaurre was arrested on July 24 after appearing in an interview with the Public Ministry, where he denied any act of treason against the country.

Quintanilla was arrested on August 23 and, in a video recorded before his arrest and released by the Blue and White National Unit, he stated that his imminent arrest sought to silence critical voices of the government.

The UNAB leader denied the allegations against him.

Reyes was arrested on August 23.

The Blue and White National Unit said it has a lawyer, but that it preferred not to release his identity for security reasons.

According to the statement from the Public Ministry, the judicial authority referred the cases to trial and maintained the precautionary measure of preventive detention.

Daniel Ortegala press