UN Experts Allege Nicaragua's Leaders May Have Committed Crimes
UN human rights experts said Wednesday there are reasonable grounds to believe crimes against humanity occurred in Nicaragua. They accused co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo of establishing a dictatorship.
- 452 political opponents stripped of citizenship since February 2023, the panel said.
- 5,000-plus organizations, mostly religious, shut down since 2018.
- Hundreds were killed in the 2018 crackdown on mass protests.
- Nicaragua's government denies the allegations of rights abuses.
Why it matters: The panel says Nicaragua's ruling couple has removed every check on their power. Panel chair Jan-Michael Simon said their goal is "permanent dynastic rule."
- Simon said Ortega declared four months ago that Nicaragua will never hold elections again.
- Panel member Reed Brody said a 2025 constitution put courts and legislature under the co-presidents.
How 3 sources split on this story
Center coverage, 1 sources: The center presents the same UN finding, with Nicaragua's rejection of the Human Rights Council as biased.
Left coverage, 1 sources: The left presents the story as a UN finding of possible crimes against humanity by Nicaragua's leaders, carrying the wire report unchanged.
What’s next: The experts want countries to take Nicaragua to the International Court of Justice. The proposed case would allege violations of the statelessness convention.
- Nicaragua is not a party to the International Criminal Court.
- Will any country file a case against Nicaragua at the International Court of Justice?
- What legal avenue exists for crimes-against-humanity charges outside the International Criminal Court?
