How are opponents judged in Nicaragua?
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(CNN Spanish) --
Edgar Francisco Parrales Castillo, a 79-year-old former priest and former Nicaraguan representative to the OAS, and the 71-year-old former diplomat Mauricio José Díaz, will continue the legal proceedings they face "under house arrest with police custody," according to the press release released by the Nicaraguan Public Ministry in the early hours of this Friday.
The two prominent opponents face charges of conspiracy to allegedly undermine national integrity, while Parrales is also accused of spreading false news.
In its statement, the Public Ministry cited the health status of the two opponents and said that the change of precautionary measure was decided "for humanitarian reasons", although it did not give more details.
Parrales was detained by civil agents on November 22 near his home, according to his relatives.
He had previously participated in a television program where he called for the release of detained opponents and questioned the decision of the Nicaraguan government to withdraw from the Organization of American States last November.
On Monday, on its social networks, the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (Cenidh) had described Parrales' arrest as "doubly illegal": "Dr. Edgard Parrales is imprisoned doubly illegally, they applied Law 1,060 to him, sending him to 90 days of judicial detention, but that term has already expired and since the preliminary hearing has not been held, they must release him immediately".
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The human rights organization said that the lawyer had filed an appeal for Parrales's health condition, and that "it is sufficiently proven that his life is in danger."
Two opponents of conspiracy in Nicaragua are found guilty 0:55
Meanwhile, Díaz, director of the closed Ciudadanos por la Libertad party, was sentenced to 9 years in prison, Cenidh reported this Thursday: "The spurious Judicial Power at the service of the dictatorship sentenced political prisoner Mauricio Díaz to nine years in unjust prison. He is innocent, we demand his immediate freedom."
The Citizens for Freedom party reacted to the verdict against Díaz through its social networks: "From CxL we reject his unjust and arbitrary sentence in a process lacking judicial guarantees. We demand his full freedom and his immediate release so that he can receive medical care. necessary together with his family".
The National Police arrested Díaz on August 9, 2021 when he was leaving the Public Ministry, under investigation for alleged actions against national sovereignty.