Nicaragua will free 2,000 prisoners convicted of ordinary crimes on Sunday 8 November, Co-President Rosario Murillo has announced, The Rio Times reports.
It will be the sixth mass release of 2026, after about 1,500 people were freed in September. The government says those released will serve the rest of their time under a family-based regime for well-behaved inmates. The date marks the death of Sandinista co-founder Carlos Fonseca Amador.
Rights groups say officials have not explained which offences are covered or how prisoners were chosen, and have raised public safety concerns. The release does not include political prisoners; the UN human rights office said in July that at least 46 people were being held arbitrarily for political reasons. Last week a UN panel of experts said crimes against humanity may have been committed in Nicaragua since 2018, which the government rejects.
Source: The Rio Times
