Geneva, October 23, 2024 – At the 149th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), delegates listened to the moving testimony of Tininiska Rivera Castellón, daughter of the Miskitu indigenous leader and YATAMA party deputy, Brooklyn Rivera Bryan, who has been forcibly disappeared since September 2023. The IPU Governing Council decided to request that the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians send a delegation to Nicaragua to meet with authorities from all branches of government, as well as other institutions or organizations that may provide information on the cases of Rivera and his alternate deputy, Nancy Henríquez.

Brooklyn Rivera Bryan was arbitrarily arrested at his home in Bilwi, and his whereabouts remain unknown. During her testimony, Tininiska highlighted her father’s legacy as a leader of the Miskitu community and tireless defender of indigenous territories. She also denounced the persecution her family has faced and called on parliamentarians worldwide to “take concrete action in my father’s case so that the Nicaraguan government provides proof of life and information on his whereabouts, his health status; and join the voices already demanding his immediate release.”

Nancy Elizabeth Henríquez James, also a Miskitu indigenous leader, took over Rivera’s parliamentary seat as his alternate in April 2023. On October 1, 2023, she was arrested by undercover police officers, and her whereabouts remained unknown for about two months. On December 13, 2023, she was sentenced to eight years in prison in a trial held inside the women’s prison “La Esperanza,” where she was denied legal representation.

To date, no legal proceedings have been initiated to terminate the parliamentary mandates of Brooklyn Rivera Bryan and Nancy Henríquez James in the Nicaraguan Parliament; however, both have been removed from the list of members of the National Assembly.

IPU Has Not Received Information from the Nicaraguan Assembly

According to the “Decisions of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians” document, the IPU formally requested information and official observations from the Nicaraguan National Assembly on both cases in April and September of this year; however, the Nicaraguan Parliament has yet to provide any information. The IPU encouraged the Nicaraguan National Assembly to engage in “a constructive and ongoing dialogue with the Committee to ensure a satisfactory and swift solution.”

The IPU expressed deep concern that Brooklyn Rivera’s disappearance is allegedly linked to his parliamentary activities as an opposition deputy and indigenous leader, as well as his participation in the 22nd session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York in April 2023. The IPU emphasized the responsibility of Nicaraguan authorities to thoroughly investigate his disappearance and ensure that his family is informed of his situation.

Regarding Nancy Henríquez, the Committee expressed concern over the serious violations of her right to a fair trial, as well as the deterioration of her health. The IPU called for her to receive urgent and appropriate medical treatment.

“Attacks and reprisals against parliamentarians for their work violate their fundamental rights and undermine the role of parliament as an institution,” states the Committee’s Decisions document.

IPU Mission to Nicaragua

The IPU Governing Council requested that the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians send a delegation to Nicaragua as soon as possible to meet with all authorities exercising legislative, executive, or judicial powers, as well as relevant prison authorities and any other institution, civil society organization, or individual in a position to provide relevant information on the case. The delegation was also tasked with visiting Nancy Henríquez in prison.

The Council expressed that it “sincerely hopes that the competent national authorities will fully cooperate and that the mission will swiftly contribute to finding satisfactory solutions to this case in accordance with applicable national and international human rights standards.”

Finally, the IPU called on all national parliaments, IPU Permanent Observers, human rights organizations, and the international community to take concrete action to help resolve these and other similar cases in Nicaragua.

Statement

From the Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality), we support the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s commitment to defending the human rights of parliamentarians and promoting justice in Nicaragua. The increasing reports of political repression and persecution against indigenous leaders and political opponents in Nicaragua are alarming. We urge the international community to continue applying pressure to demand truth, justice, reparation, and non-repetition, as well as the immediate release of Brooklyn Rivera and Nancy Elizabeth Henríquez.