SW News: In a remarkable milestone, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has approved provisional measures urging Nicaragua to immediately release Bishop Rolando José Alvarez Lagos of Matagalpa diocese.

The IACHR has also asked the nation to take the necessary steps to safeguard the bishop's safety, well-being, and personal security once he is released, including healthy food and permission to meet lawyers and family. This judgment comes amid increased concern in Nicaragua over human rights issues.

Further, it was reported that the courts have determined that the Daniel Ortega regime must guarantee Bishop Alvarez is treated humanely. These precautions will be in place until administrative procedures related to the prelate's expected release are resolved, and the state will also assist his connection with his family and legal counsel.

The IACHR ruling emphasized the bishop's dire position, indicating that his life, health, and personal integrity are in jeopardy. The conclusions of the IACHR have necessitated this immediate response.

The court also reasoned that he is in "a position of severe vulnerability" since he faces the permanent revocation of his civil rights and the loss of his Nicaraguan nationality.

In the meanwhile, the court has ordered the government to report the condition of the incarcerated bishop by July 7. Many individuals in Nicaragua are in prison for their political beliefs, and the IACHR has already approved many resolutions in their favor. The latest of these resolutions was approved in January of 2023, but President Daniel Ortega's administration has not implemented any of them.

Since April 2018, Nicaragua has been in a political and socioeconomic crisis. This problem was exacerbated by the disputed general elections on November 7, 2021, in which Ortega was re-elected for a fifth term, his fourth in succession, and his second alongside his wife, Rosario Murillo, as vice president, while his primary opponents were imprisoned or had fled the country.