UN urges Nicaragua to free people arbitrarily detained

The UN rights body on Tuesday urged Nicaragua to free people who have been arbitrarily detained and to stop prosecutions and harassment of political opponents, journalists and human rights defenders.

“All people arbitrarily detained should be immediately released and have their civil and political rights fully restored,” said Nada al-Nashif, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights.

She also criticised elections held in Nicaragua on November 7 and attacks on opponents ahead of the vote.

Speaking at the Human Rights council in Geneva, Nashif urged Managua to “stop the criminal prosecution and harassment of political opponents, journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders on account of their opinions and beliefs”.

She cited “at least” 39 cases of political leaders, journalists, rights defenders, business chiefs, farmers’ leaders and students held arbitrarily between May and October — seven of them planning to stand in the presidential election.

Nashif said that 35 of the detainees were still being held at a facility called “Nuevo Chipote”, many of them unable to communicate with the outside for longer than 90 days and some in “prolonged solitary confinement”.

She called on the authorities to allow regular visits by lawyers and family members.

President Daniel Ortega’s government should also “ensure accountability, truth-seeking and full reparation for victims of serious human rights violations committed since April 2018,” she added.

Nicaragua’s chief prosecutor Wendy Carolina Morales Urbina rejected all of the allegations in a video message played to the council.

“The reconciliation and unity government clearly and categorically rejects” the UNCHR’s claims, she said, calling the rights body “an echo chamber” for US “interventionist policy”.