The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Central America and the Caribbean expressed this Friday its “deepest concern” and condemned the raid suffered this morning in the Episcopal Curia of the Nicaraguan city of Matagalpa and the subsequent arrest of the Bishop of that city and seven other people.
Both Monsignor Rolando Álvarez and the rest of the detainees were held and surrounded by the police in that unit since last August 4.
The national police reported this morning that the detainees were transferred to the Judicial Assistance Directorate of Managua, the country’s capital, and that the Bishop was placed under house arrest and was able to meet with representatives of the Episcopal Conference.
The security forces reported on August 5 that the members of the Diocese of Matagalpa were “being criminally investigated for trying to form violent groups and incite hatred with the purpose of destabilizing the State,” which is why they should stay in their homes. .
The authorities responded in this way “to the exhortations and prayers of Monsignor Álvarez addressed on public roads to the police and anti-riot forces that on August 4 prevented him from reaching the Cathedral to celebrate mass.”
The Office emphasizes that all these actions are part “of a new wave of harassment against members of the Catholic Church in Nicaraguawhich in the last four months has manifested itself through other acts of harassment, threats, raids, arrests, obstruction of religious rites, imprisonment of priests and parishioners, and closure of at least 12 confessional media outlets, in violation of the freedoms personal, circulation, religion and expression”.
They also highlight that independent opinions and expressions about state institutions and authorities must be protected “as part of the exercise of freedom of expression.”
“The arrest of the Bishop of Matagalpa, in retaliation for his public denunciation of human rights violations and in favor of public liberties, would suppress one of the last critical voices in the country, whose civic space has been practically annulled in 2022 with the closure of 1,178 civil society organizations and with the continued arbitrary detention of 180 people who must be released,” the Office statement concludes.
Guterres concerned about the blockade of civil space in Nicaragua
deputy spokesman for General secretary Today at a press conference, the UN highlighted António Guterres’ concern “for the serious blockade of the democratic and civic space in Nicaragua and for the recent actions against civil society organizations, including those of the Catholic Church.”
Farhan Haq stressed that the information about the raid on the Bishop’s residence “only increases these concerns”.
“The Secretary General reiterates his call on the Government of Nicaragua to guarantee the protection of the human rights of all citizens, in particular the universal rights of peaceful assembly, and the freedoms of association, thought, conscience and religion, and to release all people arbitrarily detained,” the spokesperson concluded.
Add Comment