Nicaragua's government has recently revoked the licenses of hundreds, potentially thousands, of lawyers, a move described by a United Nations expert as a "purge of the legal profession" designed to dismantle the country's remaining democratic structures. The actions by President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo's administration follow a broader crackdown on dissent that began after mass protests in 2018 were violently suppressed.
Since 2018, the government has imprisoned political opponents, religious leaders, and journalists, and forced thousands to leave the country. It has also revoked the citizenship and assets of hundreds of Nicaraguans and closed more than 5,000 organizations, predominantly religious groups but also including civic organizations like Rotary clubs and scouting groups.
Lawyers have discovered their licenses removed from the Supreme Court of Justice's registry without official notification. The government did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
Reed Brody, an American human rights lawyer and member of a UN panel of experts on Nicaragua, stated that the scope of the disbarments is still unclear but likely affects at least hundreds, if not thousands. He noted that this action mirrors previous government measures, such as the closure of non-governmental organizations, universities, independent media, and churches.
"Anyone who might stand between the government and citizens," Brody said, describing the pattern of repression.
Juan Diego Barberena, a lawyer and human rights defender who has been in exile in Costa Rica since 2022, confirmed his license was revoked and said he knew of at least 25 other affected colleagues. Barberena found his name and license number had been erased from the government's database when he attempted to access his accreditation.
"This is a means of exercising totalitarian control over the legal profession," Barberena stated. "This means that the dictatorship can decide who gets to practice and who doesn’t."
This tactic is reminiscent of how Nicaraguan exiles stripped of their citizenship have reported their personal documents being erased from official databases. However, Barberena and Brody pointed out that the recent disbarments extend beyond known dissenters. The affected individuals include Nicaraguans living abroad, lawyers who practiced non-political fields like criminal or family law, and even some government sympathizers.
Brody characterized the move as an effort to erode any remaining independence within a judicial system already largely controlled by Ortega and Murillo. Barberena sees it as a dual action: an arbitrary punishment for political dissent and a strategic move by the government to prevent lawyers, experts, and academics from participating in the country's future institutions.