The Nicaraguan government has released 100 prisoners to a form of house arrest, including three human rights activists.

The government of President Daniel Ortega says all 100 face charges of "offenses against security and the public peace," which have commonly been applied to participants in protests that started last year.

Opposition figures could not immediately confirm that all those released Monday were protesters, but relatives did confirm the release of three leaders of a non-governmental group known as the Permanent Human Rights Commission.

The release apparently did not include leaders of the protest movement.

The release came an hour after the opposition had announced it was withdrawing from talks with Ortega's government, to press its demand for the release of hundreds of jailed protesters and dropping charges against them.