The children of 36 of the 147 opponents and critics of the Government he presides over Daniel Ortega who are in prison for political reasons in Nicaragua are in extreme vulnerability, concluded a study presented this Monday by the organization Legal Defense Unit (UDJ).
The report, titled ‘They cry every night: The impact of political imprisonment on the sons and daughters of political prisoners in Nicaragua’warns that the family separation imposed by the Sandinista government takes its toll on children who suffer serious trauma, especially emotional ones.
It also causes an increase in poverty, school dropouts, child labor, forced displacement, drug addiction, stigmatization and discrimination in their community and educational environments, according to the study by the UDJ, an organization made up of lawyers who defend or advise political prisoners and their families.
«The results of the data collected show the extreme vulnerability of children and adolescents with a father and/or mother deprived of liberty for political reasons in Nicaragua. Impacts have been found in all areas of children’s lives, whether at the family, psycho-emotional, social, and/or economic level.»they assured.
Family separation
The study reveals that children with parents imprisoned for political reasons have suffered direct or indirect violence by state agents, for example, by witnessing the violent arrest of their parent, the search of their home, the temporary eviction from their home, or the confiscation of their property (including toys).
The study also highlights the serious impact on the mental health of these children, driven by violence and family separation resulting from political imprisonment.
«It was determined that among the sample studied there are children who cry daily because of the separation and violence against their father or mother, some have had to go to the psychologist, and there are even children who have resorted to drug addiction or suicidal thoughts as a way of expressing their suffering»says the report, which analyzed the situation of 37 of the 69 minors who have parents in prison.
The organization warned that the identified effects may constitute illegal acts under International Human Rights Law, since they violate multiple rights and obligations contained in treaties ratified by Nicaragua, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the American Convention on Human Rights.
Parents are asked to be released or to allow contact with their children
The UDJ therefore recommended that the State release the political prisoners, considering the serious impact this has on their families, especially in cases where they have minors.
Until they are released, facilitate the use of telephone and video calls to ensure communication between detained parents and their children.
Likewise, all forms of violence or intimidation against the children of detained opponents must cease; and, until they are released, visiting spaces must be suitable for children and last at least 3 hours to allow them greater recreation and intimacy with their parents.
She recommended that the international community and civil society demand that the State of Nicaragua release political prisoners, especially those who have children.
Nicaragua has been experiencing a political and social crisis since April 2018, which was exacerbated after the controversial elections of November 2021, in which President Daniel Ortega was re-elected for a fifth term – the fourth consecutive – with his main contenders in prison and then expelled from the country, depriving them of their nationality and political rights after accusing them of being “coup plotters” and “treason.” EFE (I)
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