article 2, paragraph 3, of the Covenant. However, for purposes of article 5, paragraph 2 (b), of the Optional Protocol, the Committee considers that the author, who was arrested in 1979 and spent 10 years in detention, cannot, at this stage, be required to engage the Nicaraguan courts of the present administration before his case can be examined under the Optional Protocol. In this context, the Committee recalls that the communication was submitted to the Committee in 1988, at a time when domestic remedies were not available or not effective. Even if domestic remedies may now be available, the application of such remedies would entail an unreasonable prolongation of the author's quest to be vindicated for his detention and alleged ill-treatment; the Committee concludes that the Optional Protocol does not require the author, in the circumstances of his case, to further engage the Nicaraguan courts. Moreover, the Committee reiterates its finding that the criteria of admissibility under the Optional Protocol were satisfied at the time of submission of the communication and that there is no reason to set aside the Committee's decision of 20 March 1992. himself of local remedies to solicit the return of his property and compensation for his imprisonment. 8.1 In a further submission dated 6 September 1993, the author comments on the State party's observations, referring to Decree No. 185 of 29 November 1979, pursuant to which the judgments of the Tribunales Especiales de Justicia were not subject to appeal or cassation. Thus, the exhaustion of local remedies was completed with the handing down of the 30-year sentence against him by the revolutionary tribunal. The author's release from imprisonment after 10 years of deprivation and abuse does not close the book on the violation of his rights under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 8.2 With regard to the issue of impunity, the author points out that the State party has not initiated any prosecution against named torturers of the prior regime and that these named persons are living in Nicaragua with perfect impunity, although their crimes have been denounced and documented. The author further alleges that the State party has failed to initiate investigation of these cases. 9.3 The Committee has considered the communication in the light of all the information made available to it by the parties, as required under article 5, paragraph 1, of the Optional Protocol. The Committee regrets the absence of any submission by the State party concerning the substance of the matter under consideration. Pursuant to article 4, paragraph 2, of the Optional Protocol, a State party should investigate in good faith all the allegations of violations of the Covenant made against it and make available to the Committee all the information at its disposal. In the absence of any State party submission on the merits of the case, due weight must be given to the author's allegations, to the extent that they have been substantiated. 8.3 On 16 June 1994, the State party reiterated its position that the author has not exhausted domestic remedies as required by article 5, paragraph 2 (b), of the Optional Protocol. No submissions on the merits of the author's allegations were made. 8.4 With regard to the author's allegations that the ad hoc tribunals in Nicaragua are not impartial, the State party states that the Government has no power to intervene in their deliberations or decisions. 8.5 The State party affirms that human rights are today respected in Nicaragua and refers to the fact that the 1993 session of the Organization of American States and the ninth Interamerican Indigenous Congress were held in Nicaragua, thus manifesting that the international community recognizes Nicaragua's democratic legal order. 10.1 With regard to the author's allegation concerning the confiscation of his property, the Committee recalls that the Covenant does not protect the right of property, as such. However, an issue under the Covenant may arise if a confiscation or expropriation is based on discriminatory grounds prohibited in article 26 of the Covenant. Although the author has stated that his property was confiscated as a consequence of his belonging to a category of persons whose political Views were contrary to those of the Sandinista Government, and in a fashion that could be termed discriminatory, the Committee does not have sufficient facts before it to enable it to make a finding on this point. Examination of the merits 9.1 The Committee has taken due note of the State party's submission that the author has failed to exhaust domestic remedies, since he can now address his complaints to the competent courts of the present Government of Nicaragua. 9.2 Even though the State party has not specifically invoked article 93, paragraph 4, of the Committee's rules of procedure, the Committee has ex officio reviewed its decision of 20 March 1992 in the light of the State party's arguments. The Committee welcomes the State party's readiness to examine the author's complaints and considers that such examination could be seen as a remedy under 10.2 In its prior jurisprudence the Committee has found that interference within a prisoner's correspondence may constitute a violation of article 17 of the Covenant. However, in the instant case the Committee lacks sufficient information to 34