GENEVA — The United Nations’ top human rights official spoke out Wednesday against what he called a worsening collapse of civil and political freedoms in Nicaragua, warning that new measures designed to block political opponents from participating in elections would only intensify an already harsh suppression of dissent.
On Sunday, Nicaragua’s long-serving president Daniel Ortega announced that the Central American country would stop holding elections altogether. The move eliminates any chance of an electoral challenge when his current term concludes next year, further cementing the power he holds alongside his wife in what has become a co-presidency.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk issued a formal statement saying, “People of all political viewpoints must be allowed to vote and run for office, in line with the State’s international human rights obligations.” He added that authority in the country is becoming increasingly concentrated under the co-presidency arrangement.
Turk also pointed out that earlier this month, the Nicaraguan government stripped a number of lawyers of their credentials — a move that, according to Turk, came without any legal justification or official explanation.
The space for civic life in Nicaragua is now “nearly closed,” Turk said, noting that independent thought and free expression are being systematically silenced. He called on Nicaraguan authorities to immediately release at least 46 individuals who continue to be held without legitimate cause for political reasons.
