Report of the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua (A/HRC/52/63) (Unofficial English Translation)

Human Rights Council
Fifty-second session
27 February – 4 April 2023
Agenda item 2
Human rights situations that require the Council´s attention

Summary

The present report, submitted to the Human Rights Council pursuant to its resolution 49/3, contains the findings of the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua. The report provides an overview of the Group's findings with regard to the serious human rights violations and abuses perpetrated in Nicaragua since April 2018, including extrajudicial executions, arbitrary detentions, torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, arbitrary deprivation of nationality, and violations of the right to remain in one's own country.
The Group finds reasonable grounds to believe that these violations and abuses were perpetrated in a widespread and systematic manner for political reasons, and that, verified in all their elements, they support the existence of crimes against humanity.

I. Introduction

1. In its resolution 49/3, the Human Rights Council established the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua (hereinafter "the Group" or "the GHREN") for a period of one year, to investigate all alleged human rights violations and abuses committed in Nicaragua since April 2018, with a view to contributing to accountability and access to justice for victims.

2. The Council requested the Group to submit a written report to the Council at its fiftysecond session. The GHREN produced the present report and an extended report, issued as a conference room paper, which elaborates on the investigation and factual findings, the analysis, and conclusions in further detail.

3. The Council also urged the Government of Nicaragua to cooperate fully with the GHREN, allowing the Group access to the country, including detention centers, and providing it with the information necessary to carry out its mandate.

4. Between June and December 2022, the GHREN sent 11 letters to the Nicaraguan authorities. However, it received no response. For its part, the Government of Nicaragua sent a communication to the President of the Human Rights Council in May 2022, copying the Secretary General of the United Nations, rejecting the mandate of the GHREN. The GHREN regrets the lack of cooperation of the Government of Nicaragua, and particularly the lack of access to the country.

5. On 22 February 2023, the GHREN shared a draft of this report with the Government of Nicaragua.