UN human rights experts have told the General Assembly that Nicaragua’s government has committed systematic abuses, some amounting to crimes against humanity, in a sweeping report that underscores the Ortega administration’s deepening authoritarianism.
Findings Presented to the General Assembly
On 31 October 2025, the UN Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua (UNGHREN) presented its latest findings to the UN General Assembly in New York, concluding that the government of President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo has engaged in widespread and systematic violations of human rights. The experts said these include arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, deprivation of nationality, and suppression of political opposition, with some abuses rising to the level of crimes against humanity JURIST OHCHR.
Evidence of State Policy of Repression
The report draws on more than 1,900 interviews and 9,300 documents, documenting a state-directed policy of repression since mass protests erupted in 2018. Victims and witnesses described a pattern of extrajudicial executions, torture, censorship, and forced exile. The experts highlighted the government’s use of citizenship revocation as a tool to “punish and erase” perceived opponents JURIST Tico Times.
Calls for Accountability
UNGHREN urged Nicaraguan authorities to release arbitrarily detained individuals, end enforced disappearances, and restore fundamental freedoms. The group also called on the international community to hold Nicaragua accountable, stressing that the dismantling of democratic institutions has left citizens without domestic avenues for justice OHCHR.
Jan-Michael Simon, Chair of the expert group, told the Assembly:
“For decades, Nicaragua championed Central America at the UN as a region of peace, freedom, democracy, and development. It is tragic that it now appears before the General Assembly as a state accused of dismantling the rule of law and democratic institutions.” OHCHR
International and Domestic Repercussions
The findings intensify pressure on the Ortega government, which has faced sanctions from the U.S., EU, and Canada over its crackdown on civil society and opposition groups. Human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have echoed the UN’s concerns, warning that Nicaragua has effectively become an authoritarian state where dissent is criminalized Human Rights Watch.
Civil society groups in exile have welcomed the UN’s report, urging stronger international measures to protect Nicaraguans abroad and to support those still facing persecution at home.
Outlook
The UN experts’ presentation marks the first time Nicaragua’s human rights record has been formally scrutinized at the General Assembly. While Managua has rejected the findings as politically motivated, the report is expected to shape future debates on international accountability mechanisms, including potential referrals to the International Criminal Court.
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