Nicaragua: Distressing conditions for political detainees

Interactive dialogue on the report of the High Commissioner on the situation of human rights in Nicaragua (HRC res. 46/2)

7 March 2022

Presented by: Julio Sandino

We appreciate the High Commissioner's report and share our deep concern about the human rights crisis that prevails and is worsening in Nicaragua.

Despite countless calls by international human rights organisations, the Government of Nicaragua refuses to release all the people who were detained solely because they demanded for Nicaragua to respect democracy, in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic.

The situation of political prisoners is unsustainable and distressing. I am going to refer particularly to my mother's situation. She is a 70-year-old woman, with chronic ailments typical of her age, and who has been locked up in a three by four meter cell for more than eight months, sleeping on a concrete bed, where the light bulb does not go out 24 hours a day and does not let her rest; where due to poor nutrition she has lost part of her teeth and has shed over 30 pounds.

The poor conditions of the detention centres, the solitary detention, and the constant daily interrogations have led to the death of one adult.

We call on the Human Rights Council to take action on the matter. We don't want to keep seeing more people die. I don't want to see my mother die.

Thank you.