UN Report Reveals Deterioration of Human Rights in Nicaragua Amidst Arbitrary Detentions and Attacks

The recent introduction of a draft law that would enable the prosecution of individuals abroad for crimes such as money laundering, terrorism, and cybercrime has raised further concerns.

The human rights situation in Nicaragua has significantly worsened over the past year, marked by escalating arbitrary detentions, intimidation of dissenters, ill-treatment in custody, and assaults on Indigenous communities, according to a new report by the UN Human Rights Office.

The report highlights a troubling expansion of government persecution against opponents and independent entities, including human rights defenders, media outlets, and non-governmental organizations. This pattern of repression has intensified, targeting anyone not aligned with or directly controlled by the government.

The recent introduction of a draft law that would enable the prosecution of individuals abroad for crimes such as money laundering, terrorism, and cybercrime has raised further concerns. Critics fear that such laws may be used to pressure and intimidate exiled citizens and foreigners exercising their rights to freedom of expression.

The report, based on interviews with victims, civil society representatives, and government and NGO documents, covers the period from June 15, 2023, to the present. It details numerous human rights abuses, including arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, and violations of fundamental freedoms.

As of May 2024, 131 individuals perceived as opponents were detained arbitrarily, a sharp increase from 54 in June 2023. Additionally, ten more arbitrary arrests occurred in June and July 2024. Notably, in October 2023, a 70-year-old man was arrested in Matagalpa for criticizing the government and was later sentenced to seven years in prison under questionable legal proceedings.

The report also documents severe cases of torture and ill-treatment in detention, including instances of rape, sexual abuse, and electric shocks. These abuses have led to signs of post-traumatic stress disorder among the victims.

Violence against Indigenous peoples and people of African descent in the Caribbean Coast regions continues unabated, with settlers carrying out killings, gender-based violence, and land theft amid widespread impunity. The report also notes undue restrictions on religious freedoms, with numerous Catholic priests and seminarians detained and expelled, and the legal status of over 5,000 organizations, including women’s rights groups, revoked since 2018.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk called for an urgent change in government policy, emphasizing the need for the government to respect political participation rights and ensure fair trials. “The 2026 elections present a critical opportunity for Nicaragua. It is essential that Nicaraguans can freely and safely decide their future,” Türk stated.

He urged the Nicaraguan government to release all arbitrarily detained individuals, guarantee fair trials, end torture and ill-treatment, hold perpetrators accountable, and restore the legal status of civil society organizations and opposition parties.