MEXICO CITY — Some 222 inmates thought of by many to be political prisoners of the federal government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega flew to Washington on Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated.

Blinken stated the prisoners had been jailed “for exercising their basic freedoms and have endured prolonged unjust detentions.”

“The discharge of those people, one in every of whom is a U.S. citizen, by the federal government of Nicaragua marks a constructive step in the direction of addressing human rights abuses within the nation and opens the door to additional dialogue between the US and Nicaragua concerning problems with concern,” Blinken stated.

He stated that amongst these on the aircraft have been political and enterprise leaders, journalists, civil society representatives and college students. Blinken credited “concerted American diplomacy.”

Ortega has maintained that his imprisoned opponents and others have been behind 2018 road protests he claims have been a plot to overthrow him. Tens of 1000’s have fled into exile since Nicaraguan safety forces violently put down these antigovernment protests in.

The Nicaraguan opposition’s newest rely on “political prisoners” held had been 245. It was not instantly clear who was not launched.

U.S. State Division spokesman Ned Worth stated Nicaragua had recognized 224 prisoners to be despatched on the aircraft, however two of them declined. They weren’t recognized.

Roman Catholic Bishop Rolando Álvarez was on an inventory of 39 prisoners who weren’t on the aircraft compiled by the nongovernmental group Mechanism for Recognition of Political Prisoners.

Worth stated those that arrived in Washington got here voluntarily and would obtain humanitarian parole permitting them to remain within the nation for 2 years. They have been staying at accommodations beneath duty of U.S. Customs and Border Safety and the Division of Homeland Safety and the federal government would work with nongovernmental organizations to assist in their resettlement.

“It was the Nicaraguan authorities that determined to supply the chance to those people to journey the US,” Worth stated. “Once I say this can be a product of American engagement, as , we’ve got lengthy referred to as for the discharge of people imprisoned in Nicaragua for exercising their basic freedoms as a primary step in the direction of the restoration of democracy and an improved human rights local weather in Nicaragua.”

Again in Nicaragua, a decide learn an announcement saying the 222 prisoners had been “deported.”

Octavio Rothschuh, a Justice of the Peace on the Managua Appeals court docket, stated the deportation was carried out beneath an order issued Wednesday that declared the prisoners “traitors to the nation.” He stated they have been deported for actions that undermined Nicaragua’s independence and sovereignty.

Later Thursday, Nicaragua’s Congress unanimously permitted a constitutional change permitting “traitors” to be stripped of their nationality. It can require a second vote within the subsequent legislative session later this 12 months.

Wilma Nuñez, president of the Nicaragua Middle for Human Rights, stated in an announcement that whereas the prisoners’ launch was welcome, “deportation is a authorized time period that applies to foreigners who commit crimes in a rustic. They wish to name exile a deportation, which is totally arbitrary and prohibited by worldwide human rights norms.”

Arturo McFields, Nicaragua’s former ambassador to the Group of American States, celebrated the discharge, which he stated the U.S. State Division had confirmed to him.

“It’s a huge releasing” of prisoners seldom seen, McFields stated. He credited the prisoners’ households for by no means letting up the strain.

Berta Valle, the spouse of opposition chief Felix Maradiaga, stated the State Division informed her that her husband was on the aircraft.

In response to U.S. officers, additionally amongst these aboard the flight have been Cristiana Chamorro, who had been a number one presidential contender earlier than her arrest in 2021. Daughter of former President Violeta Chamorro, she was sentenced final March to eight years in jail. She was convicted of cash laundering via her mom’s nongovernmental group as Ortega pursued NGOs that acquired overseas funding. She was being held beneath home arrest.

Different one-time presidential hopefuls Arturo Cruz and Juan Sebastian Chamorro have been additionally on the flight, U.S. officers stated.

Ortega upped his pursuit of political opponents in early 2021, seeking to clear the sphere forward of presidential elections in November of that 12 months. Safety forces arrested seven potential presidential contenders and Ortega romped to a fourth consecutive time period in elections that the U.S. and different nations termed a farce.

Nicaraguan judges sentenced a number of opposition leaders, together with former high-level officers of the governing Sandinista motion and former presidential contenders, to jail phrases for “conspiracy to undermine nationwide integrity.”

Given the notoriously dangerous circumstances on the notorious El Chipote jail and others, in addition to the age of among the opposition leaders, family members had feared the phrases might successfully be loss of life sentences.

Hugo Torres, a former Sandinista guerrilla chief who as soon as led a raid that helped free then insurgent Ortega from jail, died whereas awaiting trial. He was 73.

Nicaraguan judges additionally sentenced 5 Catholic monks to jail this week for conspiracy and spreading false info. It was not instantly clear if any of them have been on the flight.

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Madhani reported from Washington. Related Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington and Christopher Sherman in Mexico Metropolis contributed to this report.