Star Metro - Trials to resume for Nicaragua government opponents: prosecution

The accused, political prisoners in the eyes of rights groups, face charges of "undermining national integrity" and money laundering.

Public trials will be held from Tuesday, the prosecutor's office in a statement in which it labeled the accused -- political leaders, students, journalists, businessmen and activists -- as "criminals."

Several trials had begun in September, but were halted with no explanation.

The accused were detained between July and December last year, most of them in the months leading up to Ortega's reelection to a fourth, consecutive term in November elections dismissed as a "farce" by the United States, European Union and others.

They will be tried for "undermining national integrity (and) for having received resources from foreign sources to commit the crimes of laundering money, property and assets," said the prosecutor's office.

Last month, the UN rights body urged Managua to free people who had been arbitrarily detained and to stop prosecutions and harassment of political opponents, journalists and human rights defenders.

"All people arbitrarily detained should be immediately released and have their civil and political rights fully restored," said Nada al-Nashif, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Nashif said most of the detainees had been unable to communicate with the outside for months on end, and some were held in "prolonged solitary confinement".

Relatives of the detainees have reported an accelerated deterioration in the physical and mental health of their loved ones.

More than 100 other people have been jailed since massive protests against Ortega's government in 2018, met with a violent crackdown that claimed more than 300 lives in Central America's poorest country.

F.Leblanc--SMC