Washington, July 27, 2022.– After 46 days without being able to see their relatives, the people deprived of liberty for political reasons in the Directorate of Judicial Assistance in Nicaragua, finally had the ninth visit that the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo allowed in more than a year that they have been arbitrarily imprisoned.

These visits took place between July 22 and 24, many of the relatives were notified an hour before the visit and in other cases they were not notified until they arrived at the place to ask, which prevented them from buying food that they are allowed only on this visit.

Concerns persist about the health conditions of the political prisoners, the lack of specialized medical care and isolation, as well as the quality of the food, even though they reported an increase in the portion of food,  the quality remains very bad.

Acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment continue to be part of the daily life of political prisoners who continue to lose weight and suffer from serious health problems that are not adequately treated and worsen over time.

The denial of visits by children to their fathers and mothers are some of the problems that still persist against people detained in the context of the 2021 general elections.

Lack of specialized medical care is the demand of all those deprived of liberty

Victoria Cárdenas, a Nicaraguan businesswoman and wife of political prisoner Juan Sebastián Chamorro, expressed concern about the physical and mental health of her husband, to the Confidencial media outlet.

“We are concerned about the lack of specialized medical attention, the lack of communication with the people who are abroad. They do not allow calls, there are no letters with the children who are inside and outside the country. They do not have reading or writing material, they sleep in conditions that do not allow them to fall asleep; without pillows, without sheets, on a very worn mat and on a concrete bed, and they are not allowed to talk to the person inside the cell,” Cárdenas said.

Miguel Mendoza needs medical attention for his chronic condition

Margine Pozo, journalist and wife of sportswriter Miguel Mendoza, also denounced that he has lost more than 30 pounds in weight and asked that he be allowed to be treated by a specialist doctor, since Mendoza is diabetic and has uric acid ailments that are getting worse every day.

Pozo told the Nicaragua Actual media outlet that Mendoza has not had a blood test for six months to see how far his disease has progressed and he also does not have access to a balanced diet.

She added that to date they have not allowed him to see his daughter and that the only answer they receive is that it is forbidden to bring children. We continue to demand that our daughter be allowed to see her father and hug him, that she can have that moment, that she needs it so much, the affection of her father. We demand that he be allowed at least one phone call so that she can listen to him,” Pozo said.

The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (Cenidh) reported on its social networks that the conditions of torture against Mendoza persist and that he was shaved even though he asked not to have a haircut.

Ask for visits to be more frequent

Ana Lucia Álvarez, a relative of Ana Margarita Vijil and Tamara Dávila, said that she is concerned that a year after the arrests there is no scheduling of the visits and that they continue to be irregular.

“We spent more than 40 days without any communication. There is no clear definition, no clear scheduling of visits. There are people who called an hour or two hours in advance, that is, we didn’t know anything. They start calling people and tell them that they have to be in El Chipote in two hours,” she denounced to Confidencial.

Juan Lorenzo Holmann does not receive medical attention

Chrystal Munguía, wife of Juan Lorenzo Holmann, general manager of the newspaper La Prensa, also told Confidencial that he has a better countenance thanks to receiving larger portions of food and moving him to a larger cell, but she is still concerned that he remains in the 150 pound weight.

“He told me that the nurses go through the cell, that it is bolted and only has a small window. They look out the little window and ask how he is, but they don’t check on him. In October of last year, after he fainted in the ‘patio sol’, those from Legal Medicine arrived and issued a diagnosis. It was the only time we know that both specialists saw him,” she told Confidencial.

Miguel Mora started a hunger strike

Miguel Mora denounced to his relatives that he has been on a hunger strike for  30 days to be allowed to see his child and have access to a Bible.

His wife, the journalist Verónica Chávez, told 100% Noticias that they are concerned about his state of health since Mora refuses to receive food until his demands are met and this could cause serious complications in his already delicate state of health. 

“He demands that they allow him to see his son Miguelito. The boy is suffering a lot from not seeing his father and has had mood swings, ”relatives told 100% Noticias.

Medardo Mairena in punishment cell

Alfredo Mairena, brother of political prisoner Medardo Mairena, said on social media that he is still in a bolted cell where air does not circulate and he is completely incommunicado.

In addition, he mentioned that Mairena is treated by a general practitioner and has not received any type of specialized care to see his ailments since he was detained. He continues with problems in one of his knees and also with blood circulation complications.

Until this visit on July 23, Mairena’s relatives were able to give him the news of the death of his brother on June 24, as reported on the peasant leader’s official Facebook page.

The press reports that the students Lesther Aleman and Max Jerez continue to be interrogated, although there are improvements in access to the sun twice a week and better food, some hostile treatment and lack of medical attention or clear diagnoses about their health continue. Lesther has tachycardia, reflux and problems in one of his legs.

From the Observatory Against Torture, the Nicaraguan Human Rights Collective Never Again has monitored the situation of political prisoners in El Nuevo Chipote and in other prisons of the National Penitentiary System to document the torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of these abuses of power that are crimes against humanity.

Pronouncement

From NicasLibresYa we call on the State of Nicaragua to allow access to specialized health care for each of the people detained for political reasons in Nicaragua, since, according to their relatives, they all have different chronic health conditions that worsen every day. 

From the Provisional and Precautionary measures granted by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, IACHR, we call on the State of Nicaragua to ensure the health and physical integrity of the people in its custody.

One of the demands of the relatives is the immediate release of the more than 190 political prisoners, but while that happens, they demand respect for their rights and constitutional guarantees, among which are family and conjugal visits as established in Nicaraguan law.

In relation to all the people detained for political reasons who are in the different detention centers of the National Penitentiary System, as well as those who are in the Directorate of Judicial Assistance, they must be released. Some have already been arbitrarily deprived of liberty for more than four years.

None of these people committed any crime and they do not deserve to be in prison, much less in the conditions of torture and incommunicado detention to which they are subjected every day.

From NicasLibresYa we demand the restitution of their rights, that they be released once and for all, that they be able to reunite with their families and continue with their life projects, interrupted by the arbitrary imprisonment that has been imposed on them.

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