Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Feb 9, 2023 / 14:24 pm
The dictatorship of Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega deported 222 political prisoners to Washington, D.C., Thursday, including recently jailed priests and seminarians.
A Nicaraguan appeals court claimed the deportation was necessary to protect “peace” and “national security.” Friends and relatives eagerly awaited their arrival at Dulles International Airport.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed the freed prisoners, saying: “The United States welcomes 222 individuals who had been imprisoned by the government of Nicaragua for exercising their fundamental freedoms and have endured lengthy unjust detentions.”
He added that “the release of these individuals, one of whom is a U.S. citizen, by the government of Nicaragua marks a constructive step towards addressing human rights abuses in the country and opens the door to further dialogue between the United States and Nicaragua regarding issues of concern.”