Human Rights Watch called on UN to step up pressure on Nicaragua

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday urged the United Nations to “increase pressure” on Daniel Ortega’s regime to reverse the “campaign of violence and repression” against opponents. and ensure free and democratic elections on November 7.

In a report “Attack on critics in Nicaragua“HRW called on the United Nations to” step up its role “in the face of the situation and recommended invoking Article 99 of the United Nations Charter for the Security Council to treat the matter” as a crisis of great magnitude involving serious human rights violations. this could affect stability in the region ”.

Noted that The recent arrests appear to be “part of a government strategy to eliminate political competition, stifle dissent and facilitate the re-election of President Ortega for a fourth consecutive term.”. Monday evening, 19 opponents were arrested, including five presidential candidates, a former first lady, two former guerrillas, two former deputy foreign ministers, two businessmen and four activists.

“Given the severity and intensification of the brutal crackdown on critics and opposition members by the Ortega government in recent weeks, international pressure must be stepped up,” said José Miguel Vivanco, director of HRW Americas.

The 38-page report pointed out that more than 108,000 Nicaraguans were forced to flee after the social unrest in April 2018, and two-thirds of them sought refuge in Costa Rica, according to figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The 2018 protests were violently suppressed by government-linked police and paramilitaries, leaving a total of 328 people dead, 2,000 injured and hundreds detained. according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). The Sandinista regime recognizes only 200 dead and attributes the rebellion to a “failed coup”.

“Serious human rights violations, including torture and murder, have gone unpunished,” HRW said.

He recalled that the Security Council meeting on the human rights situation in Nicaragua was held in September 2018, when HRW called on UN member countries to “Pressure ‘Ortega’ to stop the brutal crackdown on protesters, dissolve armed groups that support the government and prosecute those responsible for human rights violations.”.

Citing aid organizations in Nicaragua, the HRW report noted that 124 people critical of the regime were detained until June and that “most had been imprisoned for more than a year”. He added that among the prisoners “we have documented three cases of women who suffered sexual harassment and assault while in detention”.

She said that between January and June, HRW interviewed 53 people by telephone in Nicaragua, including 46 activists, lawyers, journalists, human rights defenders and opponents who were victims of harassment or arbitrary detention. He added that on May 14, he had requested official information on these cases, but had not received a response.

After noting that “Ortega exercises direct control over the security forces“, The report qualifies as” arbitrary detention “the siege carried out by the police” and sometimes the soldiers “in front of the houses of the opponents, who are prevented from going out even for medical appointments or taking their children to school. .

HRW pointed out that “recent wave of arrests and persecution “is based on new laws (foreign agents, cybercrime and life chain)” that violate due process guarantees established in international human rights law, and that they are used to discourage criticism, to give the appearance of legality to arbitrary detentions and to keep critics imprisoned to prevent their political participation ”.

The document says Ortega used his majority in parliament to approve electoral reforms “which prevent opposition candidates from taking part in the elections”, while he appointed “supporters of his party” as new court authorities election and blocked the participation of one of the two main opposition coalitions that would participate in the November elections.

Daniel Ortega, who first reigned from 1985 to 1990, returned to power in 2007 at the age of almost 76 He is seeking his third re-election for a fifth presidential term, the fourth in a row.

“There is virtually no possibility that Nicaraguans will be able to exercise their basic rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association, or that they will be able to vote or stand for election, if the government sees them as critical. “said Vivanco.

With access point information

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