Geneva, 4 October 2025 — United Nations human rights experts have issued a renewed call for the government of President Daniel Ortega to clarify the fate and whereabouts of more than 120 individuals who were forcibly disappeared following the violent suppression of anti-government protests in 2018.
Pattern of Repression
In a statement released by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the experts condemned Nicaragua’s continued use of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance as tools of political control. Families seeking information have reportedly faced conflicting accounts, silence, or intimidation, while detainees are often held incommunicado without access to legal counsel, medical care, or family contact.
The experts warned that such practices, when secret, prolonged, and accompanied by torture or death, constitute state responsibility under international law and reflect a deliberate strategy to eliminate dissent and erode due process.
Broader Findings and Accountability
The appeal coincides with findings from the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua, whose 2025 report documents escalating repression, including:
- Transnational targeting of exiles
- Denial of passports and nationality
- Asset confiscation
- High-level involvement in systemic abuses
The report identifies command structures linking senior officials to widespread violations, intensifying calls for independent investigations and international accountability.
International Pressure Mounts
Despite years of non-cooperation from Managua, the UN experts urged the Ortega administration to:
- Provide full and prompt information to affected families
- Release unlawfully detained individuals
- Engage with UN mechanisms
- Initiate impartial inquiries into alleged abuses
Global observers say the renewed spotlight could increase pressure on Nicaragua from regional bodies and treaty systems, though the government’s response remains uncertain.
Sources: Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; Jurist.org; Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua.
Excerpts from jurist.org article by Georgia Green | Newcastle Law School, AU
