452 Nicaraguans stripped of citizenship in UN report on dictatorship

A United Nations expert panel concluded on Wednesday that Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo have established a full dictatorship in Nicaragua. The group stated there are reasonable grounds to believe crimes against humanity have been committed. Jan-Michael Simon, who chairs the Geneva-based Human Rights Council group, told reporters the regime aims for permanent dynastic rule.

Ortega declared four months ago that the country will never hold elections again. The co-presidents have governed since a bloody crackdown in 2018 killed hundreds of protesters. Ortega claimed victory in the 2021 election after jailing potential rivals, a result the United States does not recognize.

The government denies the allegations. Managua called the Human Rights Council manipulated and obsolete. The administration accused neo-colonialist powers of using human rights as a tool for political aggression.

Reed Brody, a member of the expert group, said the Sandinista Party controls the police, courts, and prisons. A constitution adopted last year removed independence from the legislature and judiciary. Brody noted that no opposition parties or independent press remain inside the country.

The report details specific actions taken against citizens. At least 452 people identified as political opponents have been declared traitors and stripped of citizenship since February 2023. This includes former vice presidents and all 2021 presidential candidates. Authorities also closed more than 5,000 organizations since 2018, many of which were religious.

Brody described a surveillance network that monitors and attacks Nicaraguans living abroad. The experts urged countries to bring a case against Nicaragua at the International Court of Justice regarding statelessness violations. Nicaragua is not a party to the International Criminal Court.

The government has imprisoned or exiled journalists, religious leaders, and adversaries. It has seized homes and possessions from hundreds of targeted individuals. Thousands of people have been forced to flee the country since 2018.