Nicaragua Opens Trial of American Denby
American James Denby went on trial for anti-government activities in a revolutionary tribunal in Managua on Wednesday.
Watched by his wife, Marie, and his brother, William, Denby appeared calm as he sat before court president Reynaldo Monterrey and heard the charges against him: crimes against public security, acts to submit the nation to foreign domination and illegal association--the latter a term that refers to the defendant’s reported ties to the U.S.-backed Contras.
Denby, 58, was captured Dec. 6 after Sandinista troops shot down his Cessna airplane on an isolated Caribbean beach across the border from Costa Rica, where he has a farm. The Sandinista government says he was helping the Contras. Denby has said he is innocent and has called the court incompetent to judge him.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
