UN experts demand urgent answers over deaths in custody and forced disappearances in Nicaragua
UN experts denounced that Nicaraguan authorities maintain a systematic practice of hiding information about these individuals
TL;DR
- UN experts are alarmed by reports of possible deaths of forcibly disappeared persons in Nicaragua.
- The case of indigenous leader and parliamentarian Brooklyn Rivera, detained since September 2023, is highlighted due to lack of verifiable information about his whereabouts or health.
- At least one other forcibly disappeared person reportedly died in state custody in February 2026, with the body returned without a death certificate or explanation.
- Nicaraguan authorities are accused of systematically hiding information, denying detentions, and rejecting habeas corpus requests.
- Detainees allegedly face severe conditions, including being chained, sedated, and visually isolated.
- The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances has transmitted over 112 cases to Nicaragua without response.
- Experts believe these actions are a deliberate strategy to silence dissent and control the population through fear.
- Authorities are urged to clarify the fate of all disappeared persons, investigate deaths in custody independently, sanction perpetrators, and ensure adequate medical care and dignified detention conditions.