United Nations human rights experts stated Wednesday that Nicaragua's leaders, President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, have established a "full dictatorship" and committed "crimes against humanity." The expert group, appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council, has been investigating alleged human rights violations in Nicaragua since April 2018.
According to the experts, Ortega and Murillo have systematically suppressed opposition through arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, political persecution, and the stripping of citizenship from opponents. "What we are looking at is a full dictatorship, and that dictatorship has one clear goal: permanent dynastic rule," said Jan-Michael Simon, chair of the expert group, referencing Ortega's earlier statement that Nicaragua would "never hold elections again."
Nicaragua's government has vehemently denied the allegations, calling the Human Rights Council "manipulated, obsolete and interfering" and accusing "neo-colonialist powers" of weaponizing human rights for political purposes. The U.S. does not recognize Ortega's presidency.
The crackdown on dissent intensified after mass protests in 2018, which were met with a violent government response resulting in hundreds of deaths. Ortega, who declared himself the winner of the widely disputed 2021 election, has since imprisoned potential rivals, exiled adversaries, journalists, and religious leaders. Hundreds have reportedly had their citizenship, homes, and possessions confiscated. The government frequently claims that critics and targeted organizations are acting on behalf of the U.S. or other entities to undermine its authority.
Reed Brody, a member of the U.N. expert group, described the situation as Nicaragua's ruling Sandinista Party exerting "Party having total control" over law enforcement, the judiciary, and correctional facilities. He noted that a new constitution adopted last year has consolidated control under the co-presidents, eliminating any semblance of independence in the legislature and judiciary.
"There are no opposition parties left, no independent press inside the country," Brody stated, adding that there is "simply no space left for anyone to disagree." Since February 2023, at least 452 individuals deemed political opponents have been declared "traitors" and stripped of their citizenship, rendering them stateless. This group includes former Sandinista leaders, a former vice president, and all presidential candidates from the 2021 election. A transnational surveillance network is also reportedly targeting Nicaraguans abroad.
The Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua concluded that there are "reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed." They are urging countries to pursue a case against Nicaragua at the International Court of Justice for violations of the convention on statelessness, though Nicaragua is not a party to the International Criminal Court.