BTN News: A group of UN experts says the Nicaraguan government keeps attacking the Catholic Church and other Christian groups. This news comes from an update to a Human Rights Council report seen by AFP on Tuesday. The report shows ongoing severe human rights violations against religious leaders in Nicaragua.
Government of Nicaragua Continues Violating Human Rights of Religious Leaders
The report says that between January and March 2024, the government took away the legal status of 63 non-profit groups. Among these, 23 were religious groups. This move fits a pattern of government repression. In early July, the government canceled the legal status of Catholic Radio MarÃa and other NGOs, and took their assets. The government said these groups did not report where their money came from.
Leaders Ortega and Murillo Accuse Church of Supporting Protests
President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo accuse the Church of helping with the 2018 anti-government protests. These protests led to over 300 deaths according to UN figures. The government says these protests were a coup attempt backed by the US. Murillo has called clergy members “sons of the devil” and “agents of evil” who do “spiritual terrorism.”
UN Report Lists Many Cases of Arbitrary Detention of Church Members
From April 2018 to March 2024, UN experts found 73 cases where the government detained members of the Catholic Church and other Christian groups for no good reason. The real number might be higher. Those detained included priests, pastors, members of evangelical churches, seminarians, laypeople doing journalism or human rights work in religious groups, and regular churchgoers.
Detentions and Expulsions Are Called Crimes Against Humanity by the UN
The report says these actions are “crimes against humanity.” These include detentions, imprisonment, torture, cruel or degrading treatment, expulsions of critical Nicaraguans, and taking away their nationality for no reason. In late 2023, about 30 clergy members were jailed and then sent to the Vatican.
UN Says Leaders Ortega and Murillo Are Personally Responsible
UN experts say that both Ortega and Murillo are personally responsible for using state power to repress religious figures. Their actions show a bigger plan to silence critics and control religious stories in the country. The world continues to watch these events closely and calls for protecting human rights for all people in Nicaragua.
