Evidence of human rights abuses in Nicaragua that the group of experts created by the United Nations will compile will help “bring the authors of the serious violations committed in the country to justice,” he explained. Alberto Brunoriregional representative for Central America of the Regional Office for Central America of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
Speaking to Race & Equality, Brunori stated that the creation of the group of three experts in human rights of the Investigation and Accountability Mechanism for Nicaragua “it represents a step forward towards accountability for the serious human rights violations committed” since April 2018.
This is an unprecedented mechanism for the country, which can also be related to other human rights organizations, considering that the Special Follow-up Mechanism for Nicaragua (MESENI) already exists, established as of June 2018.
The experts will be responsible for collecting evidence and identifying those responsible, so that this information can also be used in future accountability initiatives. It must also formulate recommendations that contribute to improving the human rights situation in the country and present a written report to the Human Rights Council in March 2023, among other tasks, the representative explained.
He added that these experts will be chosen by the president of the Human Rights Council, so “I am convinced that they will be professionals with knowledge of the country and the region, with a profound command of international human rights law, and with the necessary experience to face a delicate task that contributes to the victims of violations of their human rights in Nicaragua to obtain justice and reparation.
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Given the possible refusal of the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo to receive the investigators chosen by the human rights organization, Brunori He maintained that “the UN has extensive experience in remote monitoring.”
«Governments need to know that blocking researchers’ access may hamper their work, but ultimately it will not stop progress towards accountability», he added.
The investigation could be carried out through interviews (physical and virtual) with victims and witnesses, and the analysis of documentation, an exhaustive investigative work can be carried out.
«The Government must know that it can only come out of this crisis by immediately ceasing the persecution against those sectors of society with which it disagrees, and incorporating them into the debate and political decision-making spheres”, declared the representative.
