The UN Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua presented a report to the Human Rights Council warning that the Nicaraguan government has expanded a campaign of repression beyond its borders, pursuing critics in exile through legal, administrative and covert means.
The experts documented systematic measures including the arbitrary deprivation of nationality, denial of passport renewals and other travel documents, entry bans, confiscation of property, misuse of Interpol mechanisms and pervasive digital surveillance, noting that 452 people were stripped of Nicaraguan nationality between February 2023 and September 2024; the report warned these actions have created a “climate of fear” among the diaspora and cited intimidation of relatives who remain in Nicaragua.
The Group also recorded violent attacks on exiles and a sharp rise in repressive practices inside Nicaragua, including mass arrests, prolonged incommunicado detention and deaths in custody; the murder of retired army major Roberto Samcam in Costa Rica in June 2025 was cited as a stark example of the physical risks facing high‑profile critics abroad.
The experts called the transnational campaign a grave violation of human rights, urged states to strengthen protection for Nicaraguans in exile through asylum and naturalization pathways, and recommended accountability measures including scrutiny of nationality‑stripping and abuse of international cooperation tools.
Excerpts from jurist.org article by Harjaap Ahluwalia | Osgoode Hall Law School, CA
