UN says Nicaragua continues to perpetrate violations 'tantamount to crimes against humanity'

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The UN on Thursday accused Nicaragua of continuously perpetrating "serious systematic human rights violations, tantamount to crimes against humanity."

In their latest report, the UN human rights experts on the Central American country said that in 2023, there has been "an exponential increase of patterns of violations focusing on incapacitating any kind of opposition in the long term."

"Nicaragua is caught in a spiral of violence marked by the persecution of all forms of political opposition, whether real or perceived, both domestically and abroad," said Jan Simon, the chair of the experts group. "In addition, the Government has solidified a spiral of silence incapacitating any potential opposition."

The experts said Nicaraguan citizens have been "left stateless and devoid of access to legal remedies, and many Nicaraguans are suffering from similar conditions caused by statelessness."

They called on the government to immediately release all persons arbitrarily deprived of their liberty, cease violations, abuses and crimes, particularly persecution on politically motivated grounds, and undertake investigations for accountability.

The UN panel urged the international community "to take immediate action by expanding sanctions against individuals and institutions involved in human rights violations."

- What is happening in Nicaragua?

The government of President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, have continued to repress all forms of dissent, according to the HRW.

In its 2024 report, the right group said the government has tightened its grip on power by cracking down on critics, including members of the Catholic Church, and dismantling civic space. It has massively closed media outlets, NGOs, and universities, violating freedoms of expression and association and restricting the right to education.

Other persistent problems include a total abortion ban, attacks on Indigenous and Afro-descendent communities, and widespread impunity for human rights violations, the NYC-based organization said.