Amaya Coppens

Activity
Social and political rights

Attacks experienced
Arbitrary arrest; criminalization; degrading, inhuman treatment

THE FACTS – Tamara Zamora, the mother of political prisoner Amaya Coppens, charges that her daughter was beaten by a female officer of the El Chipote penitentiary after a family visit took place. The activist’s mother also accuses oficials of witholding her blood pressure medicine, throwing her food to her all mashed up, and keeping the lights on in her cell 24 hours a day.

Amaya Coppens is one of 16 persons arrested last November 14 for lending humanitarian aid to the hunger striking famílies of political prisoners at the San MiguelArcángel Church in Masaya. Since then, the 16 have been imprisoned on false charges such as “the illegal possession of arms.” Amaya had previously been deprived of her freedom after being arbitrarily arrested and criminalized in September of 2018. She spent nine months in prison, where she was tortured and subjected to cruel and degrading treatment.

We of IM-Defensoras denounce and condemn this most recent attack and the degrading, inhuman treatment imposed on Amaya Coppens. We hold the Nicaraguan government responsible for any ill effects on her physical and psychological integrity.

We demand immediate freedom for Amaya and all persons held as political prisoners, and an immediate end to the ongoing campaign of hate, repression and persecution of activists and human rights defenders in Nicaragua.