General situation

Cases
Location of case in SG report
2023-089-001
Relevant SG report
Year of the report
2023
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
  • UN Treaty Bodies: CERD
  • UN Treaty Bodies: HRC
  • UN Special Procedures: Thematic
  • UN (Dep.) High Commissioner on Human Rights
  • UN Human Rights Council: UN Independent Investigation
Dates of prior UN action
May 2022 to April 2023
Type of record
General situation addressed
Was the victim a foreign national?
No
Was the victim a minor?
No
Individual's/organization's activity

civil society, including many long-term partners of the United Nations. non-profit organizations, including NGOs, universities, professional associations and others

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
Engagement with UN body
  • Unclear
Type of attempted engagement
  • Unclear
Dates of mentioned reprisals
6 May 2022
Location of mentioned reprisals
Nicaragua
Reprisal information
  1. From May 2022 to April 2023, special procedures mandate holders,66 the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,67 the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Human Rights Committee,68 and the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua69 noted with concern the entry into force on 6 May 2022 of the General Law for the Regulation and Control of Non-Profit Organizations (No. 1115) and its arbitrary application. They expressed concern that this and other restrictive laws, including on counterterrorism and money laundering, were overly vague and misused to unnecessarily and disproportionately restrict the activities of civil society, including many long-term partners of the United Nations. Between May 2022 and April 2023, over 3,000 non-profit organizations, including NGOs, universities, professional associations and others, had their legal personalities arbitrarily cancelled for the alleged non-compliance with a number of laws and regulations, in particular the Law for the Regulation and Control of Non-Profit Organizations (No. 1115).
Types of reprisals suffered
  • Administrative reprisal
Alleged/likely perpetrators
State actors
Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
Yes
Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
Yes
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