U.S. Charges Psychological Abuse of Nicaragua Staff

The Reagan Administration charged today that Nicaraguan employees of the U.S. Embassy in Managua have been subjected to “abusive interrogation” and “psychological abuse” by government security authorities.

The State Department delivered a formal diplomatic protest note to Nicaraguan diplomats in Washington over the “unacceptable harassment” that the department said occurred last week.

Spokesmen for the Nicaraguan Embassy were not available for immediate comment.

In a written statement that paralleled the protest note, the department said that between Nov. 2 and Nov. 7, 14 Nicaraguan employees of the embassy were summoned to appear before Nicaraguan state security authorities, many by way of midnight summonses.

State Department spokesman Charles Redman, who read the statement to reporters, said the Nicaraguans had been subjected to “verbal insults.”

The statement said all had been accused of working for the CIA and told that they were “prisoners.” The department said it rejected “any claims that these employees are engaged in espionage activities.”

The statement said: “All have been subjected to long periods of intense and often abusive interrogation, ranging from six to 13 hours in length. All have been subjected as well to psychological abuse by being forced to sit for extended periods of time in small windowless rooms, by being allowed to sit or speak only at the whim of the interrogator, and by being forced to walk at all times with their heads down and eyes on the ground, accompanied by armed guards.”