UN Panel Says Nicaragua Leaders Ran a Dictatorship
Experts cite 452 stripped citizens and 5,000 shut organizations as evidence of crimes against humanity.
By Rosa Wojcik ·
United Nations human rights experts stated on Wednesday that there are reasonable grounds to believe crimes against humanity have been committed in Nicaragua. The group found that the country's co-presidents established a dictatorship with the specific goal of permanent dynastic rule. They documented actions intended to eliminate opposition through arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, and the removal of citizenship from political rivals.
The investigation began in April 2018 following mass protests and a subsequent government crackdown that killed hundreds. Since that year, the ruling Sandinista Party has maintained control over the police, courts, and prisons. A constitution adopted last year removed the independence of the legislature and judiciary, placing them under the direct control of co-presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.
Ortega declared himself the winner of the 2021 election after jailing all candidates who posed a threat to his victory. The United States does not recognize his presidency. In April 2026, Ortega stated that Nicaragua would never hold elections again. This declaration, noted by Jan-Michael Simon, the chair of the UN group, solidified the structure of a full dictatorship.
The government has imprisoned or exiled adversaries, religious leaders, and journalists. Since 2018, authorities have shut down more than 5,000 organizations, primarily religious groups, and forced thousands of citizens to flee the country. The state has also stripped hundreds of individuals of their citizenship, homes, and possessions.
Reed Brody, a member of the expert group, said that at least 452 Nicaraguans considered political opponents have been declared traitors and stripped of citizenship since February 2023. This action left the individuals stateless. The group identified a transnational surveillance network that monitors and intimidates hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans living abroad. Brody noted that no opposition parties or independent press remain inside the country.
Nicaragua responded to the findings by calling the Human Rights Council manipulated and obsolete. The government accused neo-colonialist powers of weaponizing human rights for political aggression. It frequently accuses critics of working for the United States to undermine its power. Nicaragua is not a party to the International Criminal Court, which limits the immediate legal avenues available for prosecution.
The experts urged countries to bring a case against Nicaragua to the International Court of Justice. They cited violations of the convention on statelessness as the basis for this legal action. The UN panel’s report marks a formal conclusion of their investigation into allegations dating back to the 2018 protests.
