A Protestant pastor held in incommunicado detention for almost six months in Nicaragua has been released.
Pastor Rudy Palacios Vargas was arrested on 17 July 2025 in Jinotepe, Carazo Department as part of a coordinated series of operations conducted by official police and by “volunteers” in masks.
Others arrested in the operation included his sister Jéssica Palacios Vargas, his two brothers-in-law, Pedro José López and Armando José Bermudez Mojica, and his friend and political activist, Mauricio Alonso Petri. Petri's son, Mauricio Alonso Estrada, who is also a member of the worship team at Pastor Vargas’ church, was also arrested, as was Vargas family friend Olga María Lara Rojas.
The Mechanism for the Recognition of Political Prisoners in Nicaragua released a statement on X confirming that Pastor Vargas, his family members and Mauricio Alonso Estrada were among a group of 20 political prisoners released from their current form of detention on 10 January.
However, the story does not end there. Pastor Vargas, his sister and Armando José Bermudez Mojica are now under house arrest. Their movements are reportedly restricted and they live under surveillance.
Meanwhile, Olga Lara Rojas, Mauricio Alonso Estrada and Pedro José López have been released under “precautionary measures”. While free, they are required to regularly report to their local police station.
Tragically Mauricio Alonso Petri died while still in detention in August.
Anna Lee Stangl, director of advocacy and Americas team leader at Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), said, “While we are grateful that these individuals will be reunited with some of their loved ones after nearly six months in incommunicado detention, neither Pastor Rudy Palacios Vargas nor his friends and family members should be under house arrestor precautionary measures.
“Their release does not undo the injustice committed against them. We call on the government of Nicaragua to grant them their full freedom without condition, and to immediately release all remaining political prisoners including Pastor Efrén Antonio Vílchez López.
"We call on the international community to maintain pressure on the Ortega-Murillo regime to ensure human rights are upheld and that their crimes do not go unpunished.”
Pastor Lopez has been in prison since May 2022 for denouncing government violence against protestors in 2018. He is serving a 23-year sentence for what CSW describes as “false charges”.
