Nicaragua Strips Nationality Of 135 Exiled Political Prisoners

San José, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Sep, 2024) Nicaragua on Tuesday revoked the citizenship of 135 former political prisoners who were freed and flown to Guatemala last week in a deal negotiated by the United States.

The parting punishment was announced in a statement from the judiciary, which rights activists say is under the thumb of strongman President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo.

A court in the capital Managua said the 135 exiled prisoners were being stripped of their citizenship after being convicted "of criminal acts that threaten the sovereignty, independence and self-determination of the Nicaraguan people."

It also ordered that all their assets be seized.

The ruling brings to 451 the number of exiled opposition members who have been stripped of their citizenship since the beginning of 2023, according to an AFP count based on official data.

It came as the United Nations warned that a new law could lead to even greater repression of opponents of Ortega, a 78-year-old former leftist guerrilla who battled US-backed forces in the 1980s.

Under the law, which came into force last week, Nicaraguans could face up to 30 years in prison and the confiscation of property for acts such as "cybercrimes" and "offenses against the State or institutions."

"These reforms could be used to intensify persecution and repression against Nicaraguans, including those in exile," said Christian Salazar Volkmann of the Geneva-based UN human rights office (OHCHR).

Ortega's mass release of prisoners on September 5 followed a similar operation in February 2023 involving more than 200 prisoners, who were flown to the United States.

Those freed last week will also have the opportunity to move to the United States, US authorities have said.