Bishop Jailed for “Undermining National Integrity” Nominated for European Parliament Human Rights Award: A Nicaraguan bishop who was sentenced to 26 years in prison by the Ortega dictatorship in Nicaragua, after he was falsely accused of being a “traitor to the homeland” has been nominated for the European Parliament human rights award.
After a September 20 meeting of the European Foreign Affairs and Development Committees, Bishop Rolando Álvarez was announced on Monday as one of the nine nominees for the 2023 Sakharov Prize, after he received the support of 43 Members of the European Parliament.
The Sakharov Prize honors “exceptional individuals and organizations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms” and it grants £45,000.
Other nominees include Mahsa Amini, the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement in Iran, Afghan education activist Marzia Amiri, entrepreneur Elon Musk, Vanessa Nakate, a young Ugandan committed to fighting against climate change and for human rights, Parasto Hakim, Matiullah Wesa; Nino Lomjaria, former people’s ombudsman of the Republic of Georgia and Vilma Nuñez de Escorcia, who fought against the Somoza dictatorship for which she was arrested.
Speaking of the nomination, Alice Mogwe, President of the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) said: “The nomination of our dear Vilma Nuñez and Bishop Alvarez for the Sakharov Prize is an important and symbolic recognition by the European community of the sacrifice of these two people and of all human rights defenders who have had to go into exile, who have been detained, who are now stateless and who are in difficult conditions in Nicaragua.”
“Álvarez, bishop of Matagalpa, has been one of the most vehement critics of President Daniel Ortega’s regime. In February 2023, after refusing to leave the country, he was sentenced to 26 years in prison and his citizenship revoked,” stated a Sept. 20 publication on the parliament’s website.
The awards ceremony takes place in Strasbourg, France on December 13.