The Undersecretary General of the United Nations Organization (UN) presented this Friday an oral update on the report presented by the group of experts of the organization, this time highlighting the case of the bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa, Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, imprisoned for the Nicaraguan regime.
During her speech, Undersecretary Ilze Brands Kehris “called on the State of Nicaragua to unconditionally release the 37 people who are still arbitrarily deprived of their liberty, including Monsignor Álvarez, whose state of health is unknown, and to restore their nationality and other civil, political, social and economic rights to the more than 300 people affected by the recent decisions.
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“Likewise, we urge Nicaragua to repeal all legislation that prevents the exercise of political participation, freedom of expression, assembly and association, the right to nationality and the right to property with legal certainty,” he added.
After being found guilty, on January 10, Monsignor Rolando Álvarez was sentenced to 26 years in prison for the alleged crimes of undermining national integrity, spreading false news, and obstructing functions.
Brands Kehris assures that the Office “has documented a pattern of violations of due process norms and standards in the January and February trials of dissidents arbitrarily detained since August 2022, as well as the application of sentences not provided for in the Penal Code of Nicaragua, even retroactively to those who were sentenced last year.
In addition, he reported testimonies on restrictions on the economic, social, and cultural rights suffered in Nicaragua by those who do not have a membership card of the ruling party and referred to violations of the rights of indigenous peoples, mentioning, among other abuses, violent actions against two indigenous communities in the municipality of Waspam that caused the displacement of their ancestral territories.
“We urge the State of Nicaragua to carry out thorough investigations, ensure that those responsible are brought to justice and full reparations are granted to the affected communities,” added Brands.
Faced with this situation, he urged the Human Rights Council to promote all pertinent measures to reverse the current crisis and promote accountability.
