A critic of the authoritarian Nicaraguan government has died in state custody two weeks after his arrest, local media and opposition parties reported on Saturday, days after a second long-time critic was also reported to have died in detention.

The fatalities suggest a deepening crackdown by President Daniel Ortega and his wife, co-president Rosario Murillo, who have quashed dissent and overseen the arrest of hundreds of opponents in recent years. Five government critics are reported to have died in government custody since 2019.

Attorney Carlos Cardenas, who was reported dead on Saturday, was arrested on Aug. 15 amid police raids targeting government opponents. He had previously been imprisoned following a massive social uprising in 2018. Reuters was unable to directly contact Cardenas' family.

The "dictatorship has handed over another dead political prisoner to family members," the political alliance the Great Nicaraguan Opposition Confederation said on X on Saturday.

The Nicaraguan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Monday, Nicaraguan opposition leaders denounced the death of political activist Mauricio Alonso, who authorities detained in mid-July.