Jonathan Francisco López

Cases
Location of case in SG report
2019-078-009
Relevant SG report
Year of the report
2019
Country Geolocation

Latitude: 12.865416

Longitude: -85.207229

Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
Nicaragua
From Region
UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report
  • Assistant Secretary-General
  • UN Special Procedures: Thematic
  • UN (Dep.) High Commissioner on Human Rights
Dates of prior UN action
8 October 2018; 22 February 2019; 7 November 2018
Type of record
Named individual
Gender
Male
Was the victim a foreign national?
No
Was the victim a minor?
No
Individual's/organization's activity

20-year-old student leader from the National University of Managua

Type of rights defended
  • Unclear in SG Report
Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
No
Reported trigger of reprisal

those who regularly share information on human rights violations with OHCHR

The situation of Mr. López was reported as an act of reprisals for his leading role in the students’ protests and for a meeting in June 2018 with the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.

Engagement with UN body
  • UN (Dep.) High Commissioner on Human Rights
Dates of engagement
June 2018
Type of attempted engagement
  • Participation in meeting on UN premises
  • Submission of information to UN
Dates of mentioned reprisals
23 September 2018
Reprisal information

harassment and persecution: Those affected have reported threats, harassments and smear campaigns on social media. Their homes and families have been under surveillance by police officers and pro-government armed elements. In some instances, their relatives suffered attacks against their life and personal integrity.

On 23 September 2018, Mr. Jonathan Francisco López, a 20-year-old student leader from the National University of Managua, was arrested on a warrant issued on 14 July 2018, transferred to the detention centre known as “El Chipote”, and held incommunicado for a number of days. Initially, he was not allowed to communicate with his family or lawyer, and was not brought before a judge.

On 22 February 2019, the High Commissioner for Human Rights noted that the proceedings in many of the cases that have reached the courts, including that of Mr. López, “have been marked by a lack of transparency, issues relating to the credibility and independence of witnesses, undue restrictions on evidence and witnesses for the defence, and insufficient access of defendants to their lawyers.

Types of reprisals suffered
  • Defamation / Defamation campaign
  • Family/friends/acquaintances targeted
  • Online harassment
  • Surveillance
  • Threats/Intimidations (incl. "fear of reprisal")
  • Charge/Investigation/Prosecution: Trial
Alleged/likely perpetrators
Both state and non-state actors
Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
No
Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
No
Government response dates
27 November 2018
Government response content

Regarding the situation of Mr. López, the Government indicated that he had been charged with obstruction and kidnapping under articles 327 and 163 of the Criminal Code. On 14 November 2018, during a preliminary hearing, it was decided to keep Mr. López in pre-trial detention during which he has received weekly visits by relatives and access to medical attention. On 14 February 2019, the Fifth Criminal Court of Managua found Mr. López guilty of the crimes of disruption of public services, illegal possession and carrying of weapons, kidnapping and threats, and sentenced him to five years and three months in prison. On 20 May 2019, Mr. López was released, together with other 99 persons detained in the context of the 2018 protests, under “family cohabitation or other alternatives measures to deprivation of liberty.”

Was the case raised by a State at the UN?
Yes
Which State raised the case at the UN and when?

In August 2021, BENELUX raised the case at the 48th session of the Human Rights Council during the Interactive Dialogue with the Assistant Secretary-General on the report on reprisals for cooperation with the UN: 'To ensure accountability the Benelux wishes to express our particular concern about the following cases of reprisals: • In Nicaragua, the reprisals against Ms. de Escorcia, Mr Toruño, Mr. Caarmona and Mr. Jonathan López, indicate continued harassment of civil society and media in the run-up to the elections in November.'

Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
No
Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
No
Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
No
How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
2
In which SG report was this case followed up on? 0
2020
Follow up information provided in SG report 0

On 11 September 2019, Mr. Jonathan López, a prominent student leader previously detained in relation to his cooperation with the UN (A/HRC/42/30, paras. 69–70 and Annex I, paras. 78, 81–83), met with the High Commissioner in Geneva with others detained in relation to the 2018 protests and released under the Amnesty Law. It was reported to OHCHR that, upon his return to Nicaragua on 26 September 2019, Mr. López was summoned to police premises in the city of Granada and interrogated, including about his travel to Geneva. On 26 March and 15 April 2020, Mr. López was allegedly subjected to further acts of harassment and intimidation by police officers at his house. On 9 December 2019, the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, who had met Mr. López and Mr. Carmona in Costa Rica on 7 October 2019, addressed allegations of intimidation and reprisals with the authorities in writing.

Followup Trends 0
Deterioration/further reprisals
Did the government respond? 0
No
Was this case followed up by a UN body? 0
  • Assistant Secretary-General
In which SG report was this case followed up on? 1
2021
Follow up information provided in SG report 1
  1. The case of Mr. Jonathan López, a prominent student leader, was included in the 2020 and 2019 reports of the Secretary-General214 on allegations of detention, interrogation and harassment by police following his cooperation with the UN. According to information received by OHCHR, Mr. López has continued to be the target of harassment and intimidation by police, who keep his house under constant surveillance. Between 2 January and 25 February 2021, the presence of police patrols was reported for 50 days, ranging from a few hours to more than 12 hours per day. Constant police presence and intimidation allegedly increased at the time of the release of the High Commissioner’s report on the situation of human rights in Nicaragua on 19 February 2021, the report’s presentation to the Human Rights Council on 26 February 2021, and the adoption of resolution 46/2 in the Human Rights Council. On 19 February 2021, Mr. López was reportedly threatened by police agents near his home who told him that he should have not shared information with OHCHR and urged him to “stop spreading misinformation” to international organizations or else they would detain him and his family. The constant and intense police harassment is reportedly causing Mr. López and his family serious emotional distress.
Followup Trends 1
Deterioration/further reprisals
Did the government respond? 1
No