A prominent human rights group called upon Nicaragua on Friday to immediately release those detained during mass protests in April 2018 and stop repressions of the civilian population
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th October, 2019) A prominent human rights group called upon Nicaragua on Friday to immediately release those detained during mass protests in April 2018 and stop repressions of the civilian population.
Amnesty International said that it had launched a campaign to put pressure on the Nicaraguan authorities with the aim to stop the repressive strategy, which, in particular, includes closing down, subduing or silencing civil society organizations and the independent media.
"The international community must be clear that the human rights crisis in Nicaragua since April 2018, caused by the government of [President] Daniel Ortega, is ongoing and that the authorities have shown no desire to ensure the population can exercise their rights," Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International, said as quoted in a press release.
With this campaign, the watchdog is urging the Nicaraguan government to stop the repression, to immediately and unconditionally release those held in custody for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
"The campaign will include petitions, events and the sharing of information and audiovisual materials containing the testimonies of people who have fled the country in the wake of the crisis, in order to highlight the human rights violations that continue to take place in Nicaragua," the statement said.
A crackdown on protests seeking Ortega's resignation began in April 2018, with more than 300 killed and more than 2,000 injured by the Nicaraguan National Police and heavily armed pro-government militias, according to the data from another prominent rights organization, Human Rights Watch. Over 80,000 people have been forced to leave the country as a result of the crisis.
