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Managua (AFP)
The Nicaraguan authorities on Friday postponed the hearings of seven opposition leaders accused of terrorism, after President Daniel Ortega agreed to resume negotiations to resolve the political crisis in the country.
Among the reported hearings was that of 24-year-old student leader Amaya Coppens, who was arrested in September and charged with terrorism and other offenses, her father Frédéric Coppens told AFP.
He added that his first hearing was postponed from Friday to March 5 at the request of the Attorney General's office.
The hearings of four fellow students were also postponed, confirmed the lawyer, along with two other prominent activists.
Ortega agreed to resume negotiations next Wednesday. Discussions that began in May broke down in June as the president refused to step down and push the presidential elections.
These discussions took place after the April protests, initially held in opposition to a now-abandoned pension reform, which turned into general anger against the Ortega regime.
The brutal repression of Ortega's security forces left 325 dead and more than 750 people arrested and accused of terrorism at the end of demonstrations in October.
Julio Montenegro, a lawyer for several of the student leaders, said the families of his clients were hoping that the new talks would lead to the release of detained protesters, a key claim of the Catholic Church and civil society groups.
Nicaragua is facing an economic crisis and a deficit of $ 315 million. GDP fell 4% last year and some economists estimate it could contract by 11% in 2019.
The opposition accuses former leader Ortega, who has been in power since 2007, of establishing a corrupt dictatorship with his wife and vice president, Rosario Murillo.
The way Ortega managed the protests sparked international condemnation and US sanctions.
On Monday, two opposition leaders who took part in protests last year were sentenced to more than 200 years after being found guilty of terrorism and other offenses.
© 2019 AFP
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