(Photo: Christian Solidarity Worldwide)
In a sweeping arrest operation in Nicaragua, a Protestant pastor and seven others have been detained, sparking significant concern from human rights organization Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). The arrests, described as politically motivated by CSW, took place in early July, with Pastor Rudy Palacios Vargas, founder of the La Roca de Nicaragua Church Association, being apprehended on 17 July along with his family members and associates.
The church association, once responsible for six churches along the Pacific Coast, lost its legal status in 2019. Currently, the group is reportedly held at La Granja, a maximum-security facility known for its overcrowded and severe conditions.
Eyewitnesses reported that law enforcement, accompanied by masked “volunteer” forces, simultaneously raided various homes in Jinotepe, Carazo Department. Pastor Palacios Vargas, his sisters Jéssica and Arely Palacios Vargas, their husbands Armando José Bermudez Mojica and Pedro José López, along with political activist Mauricio Alonso Prieto and his son, were forcibly detained. Another apprehended individual was Olga María Lara Rojas, a family friend and retired political councillor.
CSW indicated that authorities did not present arrest warrants during the operation and confiscated electronic devices from those detained. Families of the detainees have not received any official information regarding their location or condition.
On 28 July, Nicaraguan news outlet 100% Noticias reported that Pastor Palacios Vargas and several others were transferred to La Granja following a swift virtual hearing. They are facing charges of treason and conspiracy, although specifics on sentencing or the legal standing of others in custody remain undisclosed.
Pastor Palacios Vargas has been an outspoken critic of the Nicaraguan government, particularly after the violent suppression of student protests in 2018. Fearing for his safety, he sought refuge outside the country in July of that year but returned in December 2020 after being diagnosed with cancer. Since January 2021, he has reportedly been under constant police surveillance, described by CSW as resembling house arrest.
CSW is appealing for the immediate release of Pastor Palacios Vargas and the others detained, urging international diplomatic efforts to ensure their safety and freedom. Anna Lee Stangl, CSW’s Director of Advocacy, stated: “The arbitrary detention of Pastor Rudy Palacios Vargas and his friends and family members is the culmination of years of persecution because of his willingness to openly criticise the ongoing grave violations of human rights under the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.”
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
