Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR) Report on Persons Deprived of Liberty in Nicaragua

In October 2020, the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights published a report on Persons deprived of liberty in Nicaragua. In this report, the IACHR analyzes the human rights situation of persons deprived of liberty in Nicaragua in connection with the severe human rights crisis that began on April 18, 2018.

The IACHR analyzes the patterns of the human rights violations observed in connection with the detentions, which are carried out in a variety of ways and using different tactics; for instance, they may be mass, selective and reiterated, or multiple, often deploying excessive and disproportionate force, including cruel, inhuman, and degrading practices, some of which are tantamount to torture. Detentions have also been accompanied by stigmatization, attacks in the media, persecution, and criminalization.

In its report, the IACHR identifies the establishments in which persons detained in connection with the crisis were confined and then analyzes the conditions under which they were kept, which typically included overcrowding, scant medical care, poor ventilation, the removal of detainees’ possessions, impediments to receiving visits, and arbitrary use of solitary confinement. As the crisis dragged on in Nicaragua, the Commission found persons deprived of liberty being treated by the State as objects for “swaps” or “bargains” aimed at keeping their family members plunged into uncertainty and anguish, inhibiting any acts of social protest, and undermining actions by the opposition and civil society.