GENEVA, Switzerland – Nicaragua’s government is systematically targeting the country’s university sector in a repressive campaign aimed at suppressing dissent and freedom of expression, a United Nations panel said today. In a new detailed report, the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua documented extensive human rights violations against students, teachers and other university staff.
The 96-page report says authorities have used physical and psychological violence, including threats, intimidation, beatings and prolonged solitary confinement – which could in some cases amount to torture – against students and professors, especially those arbitrarily detained, for having participated in the 2018 protests or for publicly criticizing the government.
“The Nicaraguan government has directly targeted universities as part of a widespread repressive campaign, eliminating their autonomy and turning them into centers of political control,” said Jan Simon, chair of the Group of Experts. “The academic community deserves safe and free spaces to express ideas and contribute to the social development of the country, and these rights must be restored urgently. With these actions the government is jeopardizing the future of the country.”
The report highlights the closure of multiple universities where social movements or opposition to the Government had been allowed, and the arbitrary expulsion of students and professors critical of the authorities.
At universities which were not closed, the government has instituted measures of political control, imposing restrictions on academic freedom and research and limiting access to education for perceived opponents. These actions reflect a pattern of violence and repression designed to stifle any voice of resistance, even within the university environment, traditionally a space for freedom and debate.
The Group of Experts called on the international community to urge the Nicaraguan State to restore university autonomy and guarantee security and freedom of expression in the academic sphere.
“There is an urgent need for international action to protect the integrity of students, teachers and professionals in the university sector in Nicaragua,” said Simon.
The human rights record of Nicaragua will be examined by the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group for the fourth time on Wednesday, 13 November 2024, in a meeting in Geneva that will be webcast live.
Nicaragua is one of 14 States to be reviewed by the UPR Working Group during its upcoming session from 4 to 15 November 2024. The first, second and third UPR reviews of Nicaragua took place in February 2010, May 2014, and May 2019, respectively.
The UPR Working Group is comprised of the 47 Member States of the Human Rights Council. However, each of the 193 UN Member States can participate in a country review.
The documents on which the reviews are based are: 1) national report – information provided by the State under review; 2) information contained in the reports of independent human rights experts and groups, known as the Special Procedures, human rights treaty bodies, and other UN entities; 3) information provided by other stakeholders including national human rights institutions, regional organizations, and civil society groups.
