One student has died and 41 others have been injured after armed men attacked a university they were occupying in the capital of Nicaragua as part of anti-government protests, Amnesty International says.
"The Hospital Bautista in Managua confirmed to me that they have received 41 young students who were injured, most of them by gunfire, one has died," tweeted Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at the human rights watchdog.
"This is a consequence of the attack on the University of Engineering," she continued.
Students played a key role in protests against the government of President Daniel Ortega, which began on April 17 and to which authorities have responded with deadly force. The university was the fourth to have been occupied by students.
The demonstrations initially targeted new taxes on old age and disability pensions, as well as an increase in social security contributions. But protesters are now asking Ortega to resign.
Local media said Monday's attack was carried out by men on motorbikes, with independent broadcaster Canal 15 identifying them as pro-government paramilitary gunmen.
Amnesty International, which sent a team to investigate the government's alleged human rights abuses during the protests, said the attack was carried out by pro-Ortega "Sandanista mobs" and later by riot police.
It posted videos on its website showing the attack, in which loud gunfire could be heard.
Unknown attackers also set fire to the offices of Nueva Radio Ya, not far from the university, on Monday. The radio station is known as a mouthpiece for Ortega's leftist Sandinista National Liberation Front.
Student representative Lyris Solis condemned the attack and said students had nothing to do with it.
The online news website El 19 Digital, also regarded as an Ortega mouthpiece, reported that the station's employees were also attacked.
The government called it an "attack motivated by hatred," and said it had been carried out by fascists.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights saiid the protests had claimed 79 lives since they began in April. The government only acknowledges 22 deaths.
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