Nicaragua’s crackdown on opponents amounts to crimes against humanity, UN experts say
Nicaragua's state institutions have together carried out enforced disappearances, torture and arbitrary detention of political opponents, conduct that amounts to crimes against humanity, according to a report published on Tuesday by UN experts.
A United Nations panel of experts has labeled Nicaragua's actions against political opponents as crimes against humanity, according to a report released on Tuesday. The three UN experts were tasked with investigating human rights conditions in Nicaragua and found evidence of state institutions, including police, prosecutors, and intelligence services, engaging in enforced disappearances, torture, and arbitrary detention of critics.
Their investigation revealed a systematic campaign to identify, monitor, and imprison those who oppose the government.
Daniel Ortega, who serves as co-president of Nicaragua with nearly two decades of leadership, and his wife Rosario Murillo, the co-president, are the key figures in power. In July, Ortega announced that the country would refrain from holding elections to avoid opposition parties from regaining control. This decision has drawn criticism from the US and other regional countries, as it is seen as a part of the government's efforts to systematically dismantle rights and freedoms.
In September, Nicaragua's Congress passed a constitutional reform that bans opposition parties from participating in elections, further exacerbating the situation. The crackdown on dissent began in April 2018, following protests against the government, which resulted in over 300 deaths and a mass exodus of Nicaraguans. Since then, authorities have intensified their tactics, employing long-term enforced disappearances, nationwide police raids, and targeting church members, Indigenous leaders, and former state and military officials.
The UN experts identified a total of 161 cases of enforced disappearance since April 2018, with durations ranging from a few days to several years. They have also documented gender-based abuse and humiliation, including threats of sexual violence, against female detainees. The panel urged the Nicaraguan government to cease the practice of enforced disappearances and release information on the whereabouts of missing persons.
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