New Delhi, May 30 -- The U.S. called for the release of imprisoned Nicaraguan Indigenous leader Brooklyn Rivera on Friday after the government published photos of him in the hospital in critical condition.

Rivera, a leader of the Miskito people who have been at odds with the ruling Sandinista government for decades, has been imprisoned since Sept. 29, 2023 as part of a years-long crackdown on dissent. His family has said he is imprisoned for political reasons and that the government hasn't presented formal charges.

At least a handful of prisoners have died in the Nicaraguan government's custody in recent years as the government has imprisoned hundreds of journalists, activists and political opposition.

The Nicaraguan government said in...