Forty opponents sentenced to up to 13 years in prison in Nicaragua
"suffer from hunger"
and their state of health is deteriorating due to ill-treatment and their conditions of detention, denounced Monday, May 2 members of their families.
“Our
(imprisoned) relatives
suffer from hunger and we again confirm rapid and significant weight loss, with malnutrition, such as for
(activist) T
amara Davila, who according to our calculations weighs less than 100 pounds
(45 kg)
”
, denounced the families of opponents in a press release read by the daughter of one of them, during a virtual press conference.
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The families spoke out after visiting their loved ones between April 28 and 30 and observed
"a general deterioration in their state of health"
, which they attribute to a
"systematic policy of torture aimed at breaking their bodies and their minds”
.
“Punishments have become more frequent, ranging from emotional blackmail, to threats to transfer them to smaller cells with worse conditions, and the discretionary handing over of packets”
of food brought by relatives.
The prisoners are also deprived of
"medicines, drinks, and even toilet paper"
, denounce the families.
“memory loss”
Cristian Tinoco, daughter of former foreign minister and ruling party dissident Victor Hugo Tinoco, said she saw her 69-year-old father
"pale, emaciated"
and showing signs of
"memory loss"
.
The families also denounced the
"persistence of a policy of isolation and deprivation of communication"
for prisoners who are not allowed telephone calls, mail and cannot communicate with each other.
About forty government opponents were recently sentenced to up to 13 years in prison for
"undermining national integrity"
.
Read alsoNicaragua: Ortega neutralizes his presidential rivals
In November, Daniel Ortega, a 76-year-old ex-guerrilla in power since 2007, was unsurprisingly re-elected for a fourth consecutive term, while his most serious rivals and many other opponents were imprisoned, accused of plotting against his government with the support of Washington.
The election of Daniel Ortega is not recognized by most of the international community, in particular by the Organization of American States (OAS), the United States and the European Union, on the grounds that the ballot was not not democratic.