They denounce new arrests of opponents in Nicaragua

(CNN Spanish) -

The opposition Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy of Nicaragua denounced this Wednesday the "illegal and arbitrary detention" of more than a dozen of its members and other opposition leaders.

Through a statement published on its social networks, the group communicates that in November six members of its departmental and municipal directors of Masaya and Río San Juan were arrested, in addition to six other national leaders arrested between June and October.

"In total there are twelve political prisoners: Juan Sebastián Chamorro, Max Jerez Meza, Lesther Alemán Alfaro, Álvaro Vargas Duarte, José Adán Aguerri Chamorro, Michael Healy Lacayo, Nidia Barbosa Castillo, Armando Robles, Edder Muñoz, a member of Chinandega, one of Morrito and another from Masaya, that to protect their physical integrity and at the request of their relatives we will omit their names, "the document added.

According to the Civic Alliance, its members "have been detained arbitrarily, illegally, violently and without a court order stating the reasons for their arrests."

It also indicates that "another violation of his rights is that accusations have been filed against him, trials in which the judicial system has admitted false witnesses and without the presence of their lawyers."

The National Police have not responded to these complaints from the Civic Alliance.

CNN consulted with the institution's public relations department, but we have not yet received a response.

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The Judiciary also does not respond to inquiries from independent media, including CNN.

The Prosecutor's Office is the institution that informs opponents of judicial hearings.

Between June and July, the Police reported the arrest of former presidential candidate Juan Sebastián Chamorro, as well as that of José Adán Aguerri, Álvaro Vargas, Lesther Alemán and Max Jerez through press releases.

The Prosecutor's Office filed against them charges of money laundering and treason, among others, but their trials are frozen, according to the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH).

The defendants and their lawyers deny all the accusations.

The Police reported in October the arrest of Michael Healy, accused of crimes against national sovereignty.

His lawyers and family also reject all the charges.

• The IACHR condemns the detention of a former Nicaraguan ambassador to the OAS

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued precautionary measures ordering the immediate release of some detained members of the Alliance.

Faced with non-compliance with this ruling, the IACHR declared the Nicaraguan State in contempt.

Nicaragua denounced the Inter-American Democratic Charter on Friday and announced through the Foreign Ministry its definitive withdrawal from the Organization of American States (OAS), for which it considers repeated interventionist actions.

The Commission and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights are part of the OAS.

The recent arrests are in addition to those of some 40 opposition leaders arrested between June and November reported by the opposition, including seven former presidential candidates, most of whom are accused of money laundering or actions undermining national sovereignty, charges that have not been managed to prove with the evidence presented at the hearings, his defense lawyers say.

Nicaragua