The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) warned on Friday night of the worsening of repression and human rights violations in Nicaragua with the recent measures promoted by the government of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo with the support of the country’s judicial apparatus under government control.
The instance attached to the Organization of American States (OAS) said in a statement that the request made by Chamber One of the Court of Appeals of Managua to the Attorney General’s Office for formalize the confiscation of all real estateshares and commercial companies of the 222 people released and arbitrarily expelled last Februaryviolates fundamental guarantees and due process.
“The confiscation of assets and assets constitutes an arbitrary and disproportionate criminal action that is contrary to Article 21 of the American Convention on Human Rights” to which Nicaragua is a signatory, said the Washington-based agency.
The Commission also points to the “arbitrary policy” followed by the Nicaraguan immigration authorities to prevent entry into the country or prevent the departure of nationals from the territory, another flagrant violation of fundamental rights that is manifested -according to the organization- in the campaign of repression against opponents.
“The IACHR, through its Special Follow-up Mechanism for Nicaragua (MESENI) continues to receive information about the withdrawal and arbitrary retention of passports or the refusal to issue them as a mechanism to prevent people from leaving abroad,” he points out.
These provisions of the Nicaraguan government, especially those who are prevented from returning to the country, have forced thousands of citizens considered to be opponents “to forced displacement” for which they must seek to regularize their immigration status or seek access to “international protection mechanisms in other countries”, says the IACHR.
This policy would be forcing thousands of citizens of that Central American country “into exile”, which entered into a deep political and social crisis in 2018 and that worsened in 2021 with the elections, where Daniel Ortega was re-elected without opposition.
Before the elections the opposition candidates were imprisoned, which led to the majority of countries in the international community were unaware of the result of the elections that gave Daniel Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo a fourth consecutive term.
The IACHR also warns in its statement that the information about “new arbitrary detentions of human rights defenders, journalists, and members of the Catholic Church” is “concerning.”
Reports from the organization indicate that between April and May of this year some 140 people have been arrested for participating in social activities and vindicate the spirit of the protests that unleashed the crisis in 2018, to which are added police operations carried out “simultaneously” in different regions of the country.
The Nicaraguan government has not provided any explanation about the control policies to prevent its citizens from leaving or entering the country and under what guidelines this immigration policy would be following.
And regarding the confiscation of assets of ex-political prisoners exiled from the country, the Ortega government alleges the measure as punishment for “coup plotters” who violate the country’s sovereignty.
Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channel Youtube and activate notifications, or follow us on social networks: Facebook, Twitter and instagram the Voice of America!
