According to a recent report, endorsed by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the number of political prisoners in Nicaragua increased to 245 in January 2023.
Newsroom (06/02/2023 10:24 AM, Gaudium Press) — Another Nicaraguan Catholic priest, Fr. Óscar Benavidez, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by Judge Nancy Aguirre Gudiel.
The charges are for criticizing the current Nicaraguan Regime, “conspiracy” against the Ortega dictatorship and “propagation of fake news”. Fr. Benavidez is the first Nicaraguan priest convicted of conspiracy and spreading false news among the 10 priests detained in Nicaragua. The 49-year-old priest has been detained since August 14. His sentencing by Judge Gudiel who is head of the District Court of the Tenth Criminal Trial of Managua, held the hearing behind closed doors.
Father Benavidez was sentenced to five years for forming a conspiracy and attacking national integrity and another five for the crime of disseminating fake news. The sentence was read on January 24.
The Ortega Regime, who acted as mediators in a national dialogue and seek a peaceful solution to the crisis that the country has been experiencing since April 2018, calls Nicaraguan bishops “terrorists”.
According to a recent report, endorsed by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the number of political prisoners in Nicaragua increased to 245 in January 2023.
Compiled by Donna Smolders
