The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed this Friday its concern about the deteriorating situation in Nicaragua, where the authorities continue to silence any critical or dissident voice in the country using the judicial system.
The spokesperson for the Office, Marta Hurtado, explained at a press conference in Geneva that only during the month of May, reports of arbitrary detentions of 63 people were received.
In a single night, 55 of them were charged with “conspiracy to undermine national integrity” and “spreading false news,” charges the government allegedly uses to silence its critics.
During your custody hearings, none of the 55 defendants could choose their lawyer and, instead, they were represented by a public defender that was imposed on them.
Among those detained were human rights defenders, political opponents, journalists, rural workers and people linked to the Catholic Church.
Charges against the Catholic Church for “terrorism”
“This week, three foreign nuns were expelled from Nicaragua; and three other nuns were prevented from leaving their convent. Between May 21 and 23, four priests and four church employees were arrested and detained, ”he specified.
He also recalled that Bishop Rolando Álvarez, who is serving a 26-year sentence for “attacking national integrity” and “spreading false news”, is currently in “La Modelo”, a prison in Tipitapa, near Managua, and he is not allowed to receive visitors from March 25.
Hurtado added that he had received information that the bishop’s cell lacks adequate hygienic and sanitary conditions and natural light, and that he is not allowed to go outdoors, conditions that violate international human rights standards.
In addition, the bank accounts of at least three of the nine dioceses of the Nicaraguan Catholic Church were frozen for alleged money laundering. The Government accuses the Church of acting like a criminal organization that supports what it describes as “terrorism” and destabilization of the country.
Suspensions of work and withdrawal of nationality
Between May 9 and 11, the Supreme Court ruled that 26 lawyers and notaries critical of the government, including some of the country’s most prominent human rights defenders, could no longer practice law in the country. Another 25 had their nationality stripped in February, along with another 292 people. The authorities have confiscated some of their goods and property.
Since the end of June 2022, the legal personality of more than 3,200 organizations has been cancelled, and some media outlets have also been forced to close.
We call on the authorities to stop the repression of dissent and immediately release all those arbitrarily detained. The Human Rights Office is ready and available to help Nicaragua promote human rights in the country,” he requested.
The spokesperson urged the government to address the current crisis through dialogue, accountability for human rights violations, and institutional and legislative reforms to restore the rule of law.
“Allowing access to our staff would be an important step towards better cooperation with the UN system,” he concluded.
El Salvador must lift the state of exception
Hurtado then expressed his concern about the repeated extensions of the state of emergency in El Salvador, which came into force in March of last year, especially due to the consequences on the human rights of the population. The spokeswoman asked the authorities for his suspension.
The spokeswoman recognized the complex challenge that El Salvador faces to combat crime, as well as the serious suffering caused by gangs in the country. However, she considered that “weakening the rule of law and the integrity of the legal system by derogating from the right to a fair trial is not the answer.”
Since the state of emergency came into force, at least 68,000 people have been imprisoned in the Central American nation. Of these, at least 1,600 are under 18 years of age.
Referring to a recent report by a prominent NGO (Cristosal), Hurtado explained that at least 153 inmates have died in prison since the state of emergency was introduced, almost half of them violently.
He added that civil society organizations documented 182 incidents in which human rights defenders and journalists were targeted. On April 14 of this year, El Faro, an online media outlet, announced that he was transferring his staff from El Salvador to Costa Rica, citing the intimidation and smear campaigns they faced because of his work.
Finally, it asked the authorities to lift the state of emergency, review the measures adopted, immediately investigate all deaths in custody in accordance with international standards, hold those responsible accountable, and guarantee justice and reparation to the relatives of the victims. victims.
