Washington, D.C., June 27, 2025.– The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights pointed out that the persecution of the Government of Nicaragua against people perceived as opponents “has become a recurrent practice and can transcend beyond its borders,” which represents a high risk to the life and physical integrity of people in exile.

This information corresponds to the oral update on the human rights situation in Nicaragua, carried out this Friday, June 27, in the framework of the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council and in accordance with Resolution 58/18 of that body. It was presented by the director of the Global Operations Division of the Office, Maarit Kohonen.

Kohonen said that the persecution of people perceived as political opponents in Nicaragua includes human rights defenders, journalists, indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples, religious and secular leaders, and that this situation “is exacerbated by legislative changes that reinforce the closure of civic space and increase restrictions on political participation.”

Arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances

The report indicates that arbitrary detentions continue to be used as a tool of political repression, consolidating a climate of fear to silence any critical voice, and that, according to information gathered by the Office, at least 54 people (47 men and 7 women) remain arbitrarily detained. “The real figure could be higher as many families are afraid to report for fear of reprisals,” he said.

Additionally, the Office has documented 13 cases of possible forced disappearance, of which 8 correspond to older adults and 2 to indigenous persons. Of these cases, they highlighted Evelyn Carolina Matus Hernández’s, whose whereabouts have been unknown since she was arbitrarily detained on June 25, 2024, and separated from her 5 and 10 year old children.

“Detention conditions continue to be worrying, with reports of torture and insufficient food. Of the 54 people detained 15 are elderly people with urgent medical needs without adequate care. Of particular concern is the case of Aníbal Martín Rivas Reed, 62, who suffers from degenerative arthritis and clinical depression and whose whereabouts have been unknown since his arrest last May,” he added.

In relation to the situation of the independent press, the office reported that  at least 168 journalists have had to go into exile since 2018 while those who remain in the country face surveillance, threats and censorship, highlighting the case of journalist Leo Cárcamo, who was arbitrarily detained in November 2024 and since then his whereabouts remain unknown, which could constitute an enforced disappearance.

In the oral update, the Office reiterated its call on the Nicaraguan authorities to immediately release all arbitrarily detained persons, to cease enforced disappearances and torture, and to ensure respect for international standards on dignified treatment in places of detention.

Legislative reforms

The High Commissioner’s report referred to the reforms to the Electoral Law approved last March, noting that they deepen the concentration of power in the Presidency and further weaken the guarantees of democratic participation, by eliminating the mechanisms of referendum and plebiscite and authorizing proselytism in public offices, as well as limiting the constitution and integration of political parties.

“These reforms together with the constitutional reforms adopted in January 2025 raise serious doubts about the existence, independent functioning of political parties, in addition there is uncertainty about the dates of the next presidential elections,” he said.

He also referred to the new organic law of the Judiciary, in that it grants the Presidency of the Republic the power to propose the presidency of the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) and allows the restriction of the publicity of criminal proceedings at the discretion of the judicial authority.

“Recently enacted legislation has further weakened protections for indigenous peoples’ and Afro-descendant peoples’ territories and their forms of governance; These reforms have been adopted without due guarantees of the right to consultation and free, prior and informed consent. This, coupled with ongoing attacks against communities that include killings, sexual violence, and arbitrary detention of leaders, poses a serious threat to the survival of Nicaraguan indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples,” he added.

The report also denounced that the number of non-governmental or civil society organizations that have been arbitrarily terminated has now reached 5,535 and that this year the Office has documented 29 cases (17 women and 12 men) of people who were denied entry to their own country for political reasons.

Isolation of Nicaragua

The Nicaraguan representation was absent from the session and, therefore, did not respond to the complaints and demands raised. The Office of the High Commissioner, for its part, noted that despite the urgent need to address the human rights crisis, Nicaragua continues to isolate itself from cooperation with international organizations, notifying its withdrawal from UNESCO in May and from UNHCR in June.

“We once again call on the Nicaraguan authorities to resume dialogue to guarantee the promotion and protection of human rights in the country, including the conclusion of the Universal Periodic Review,” they said.

From Race and Equality, we reject the resistance of the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo to be accountable before the Human Rights Council and warn that both the bodies of the universal system of protection of human rights and civil society organizations must continue to demand that the State be held accountable and that the victims receive justice, reparation and guarantees of non-repetition that they deserve. Turning our backs on international obligations and protection bodies will not provide them with the impunity they seek.

We share the concern of the Office of the High Commissioner about the persistence and worsening of politically motivated persecution and other forms of repression against people perceived as opponents, and we therefore call on the international community to maintain vigilance over the human rights situation in the country and beyond its borders regarding exiles.

We demand that the regime report on the whereabouts of all disappeared persons, as well as the immediate release of all those imprisoned for political reasons.