Anti-government bishop Rolando Álvarez is on trial in Nicaragua for conspiracy to undermine national integrity and spread false news.
Bishop Rolando Álvarez, who is critical of the government, is on trial in Nicaragua five months after his arrest. At Tuesday’s hearing, a judge ruled that the 56-year-old faces charges of conspiracy to undermine national integrity and spread false news. Álvarez is initially under house arrest, local media reported, citing the administration of justice.
The Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa was therefore present at the hearing. In August, the bishop was arrested by the police at his residence. Officials had previously surrounded the house for more than two weeks. Meanwhile, Álvarez and several employees were prevented from leaving the residence.
In the Central American country, the authoritarian government of ex-guerrilla Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, have been cracking down on critics for years. Numerous opposition politicians, journalists critical of the government and activists are under arrest or have gone into exile. More than 350 people were killed in anti-government protests in 2018.
