Nicaraguan authorities have arrested a Protestant pastor and several of his relatives and associates in a police operation that took place last month. Rights groups are demanding their immediate release and warning of worsening religious repression in the country.

Pastor Rudy Palacios Vargas, founder of La Roca de Nicaragua Church Association, was detained along with seven others — his sister, Arely Palacios Vargas, her husband, Pedro José López, another sister, Jéssica Palacios Vargas and her husband, Armando José Bermudez Mojica, political activist Mauricio Alonso Prieto and his son, and a family friend, Olga María Lara Rojas — according to the U.K.-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

Armed officers and masked individuals in dark clothing raided multiple homes in Jinotepe, Carazo Department, that evening, taking the eight individuals into custody without presenting warrants and seizing their phones and electronic devices.

Some of those arrested were reportedly transferred to La Granja Maximum Security Prison in Granada Department and subjected to a fast-tracked virtual hearing, during which charges of treason and conspiracy were filed.

Those named in the hearing included Pastor Palacios Vargas, Bermudez Mojica, Jéssica Palacios Vargas, López and Lara Rojas. No updates have been provided regarding the status of the remaining three detainees or any sentencing decisions. The family was not informed of their whereabouts during or after the arrests.

Pastor Palacios Vargas had previously fled Nicaragua in July 2018 after condemning the government’s violent response to student protests. Threats received through phone calls and social media prompted his departure.

Within days of his exit, at least three members of his church were reportedly killed by security forces and paramilitary groups.

In 2019, the Nicaraguan government revoked the legal status of his church association, which had six branches along the Pacific Coast, CSW said.

After being diagnosed with cancer, Pastor Palacios Vargas returned to Nicaragua in December 2020. He has been under close police surveillance since January 2021, with restrictions amounting to de facto house arrest.

“The arbitrary detention of Pastor Rudy Palacios Vargas and his friends and family members is the culmination of years of persecution because of his willingness to openly criticize the ongoing grave violations of human rights under the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo,” said CSW’s Director of Advocacy Anna Lee Stangl.

She urged Nicaragua to release the detainees and called on international actors to seek access to the prisoners and demand their freedom.

The arrests come amid mounting international concern over Nicaragua’s treatment of religious groups.

In March, the country withdrew from the United Nations Human Rights Council shortly after the release of a report accusing the government of “methodical repression” of dissent. The report was issued by U.N. experts and detailed widespread suppression of democratic and religious freedoms.

Ariela Peralta, one of the U.N. experts involved in the investigation, stated that the Ortega administration appeared to be “at war with its own people.” Following the release of the report, Vice President Rosario Murillo dismissed the findings as “falsehoods” and “slander.”

Critics have pointed to Nicaragua’s escalating efforts to control civil society.

A 2018 law regulating funding for non-governmental organizations has resulted in thousands losing legal status. While the crackdown has affected many types of organizations, Catholic institutions have faced particularly severe consequences. These include the arrest and expulsion of clergy, the closure of religious institutions and the confiscation of property.

The U.S. Department of State designated Nicaragua a “Country of Particular Concern” in 2022 for its violations of religious freedom. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has also documented ongoing violations, including intimidation of worshipers and arbitrary arrests of religious leaders.

The Nicaraguan government defended its actions, claiming international organizations were spreading misinformation and engaging in a smear campaign. President Ortega has consolidated power in recent years, exerting control over the judiciary and legislature.