Nicaraguan police detained two senior Catholic priests, Carlos Aviles and Hector Treminio, who are close to the country's top church leader. This comes as part of a crackdown on the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, with a total of 14 priests being arrested. The detention of Bishop Rolando Álvarez, who has been unjustly detained for 500 days, has prompted Pope Francis to call for dialogue. The Nicaraguan regime's actions have been condemned by the U.S. State Department and various organizations, with calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Bishop Álvarez.
Religious freedom in Nicaragua is still under siege by the Ortega dictatorship. Over a year has passed since Bishop Rolando Àlvarez's arrest on August 19, 2022; he remains on house arrest. We must maintain pressure on the Nicaraguan regime until all Nicaraguans can freely speak,…
Bishop Álvarez has been harassed & unjustly imprisoned by the Nicaraguan government for simply fulfilling his duties as a Catholic bishop Read on @thehill👇by @BayerPicciotti https://t.co/SNzJ7ydrtV
We call on the Nicaraguan regime to immediately and unconditionally release Bishop Rolando Álvarez, who has been unjustly detained for 500 days. Freedom of belief is a human right. Álvarez's continued detention is unconscionable.
Fourteen Nicaraguan priests have now been arrested in a crackdown on the Catholic Church in the Central American country, prompting Pope Francis to call for dialogue during his New Year's Day prayer. Read more ⬇️ https://t.co/mxlXIaQATw
Nicaraguan police detained on Thursday two senior Catholic priests who are close to country's top church leader. Local media outlet Confidencial named the priests as Carlos Aviles & Hector Treminio. The two priests were detained for publicly praying for jailed Bishop Rolando… https://t.co/3kKEAuC37j