IACHR grants precautionary measures in favor of Steadman Fagot Muller in Nicaragua

October 30, 2024

Washington, D.C. – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued Resolution 77/2024 on October 28, 2024, to grant precautionary measures in favor of Steadman Fagot Muller in Nicaragua, in the belief that he faces a serious, urgent risk of suffering irreparable harm to his rights to life and personal integrity.

The party who requested these precautionary measures said that the beneficiary is a Miskito indigenous older person who held a public position since 2017. In the exercise of that position, he publicly opposed government policy concerning indigenous peoples and reported several alleged invasions of indigenous territories. The party who requested these precautionary measures said that the beneficiary was arrested by the Army on September 14, 2024, in retaliation for those actions. In a press release, the Army said it had transferred the beneficiary to the National Police for his alleged ties to organized crime. However, no official information has been provided to date concerning Fagot Muller's fate or whereabouts, or about his current legal status. The State failed to provide information to the IACHR on this issue.

Consequently, in keeping with Article 25 of its Rules of Procedure, the IACHR asked the State of Nicaragua to take the following action:

1. Adopt any measures necessary to establish the beneficiary's whereabouts and condition, in order to protect his rights to life and personal integrity
2. Say whether the beneficiary is in State custody, and if so provide the details of his arrest and of his conditions of detention (particularly by reporting on his place of detention and granting his lawyers and family access to him, as well as enabling any healthcare assistance he may require, and ensuring he is taken before court authorities so these may review and monitor his detention)
3. Take any measures necessary to ensure that the beneficiary can continue to do his work in defense of the rights of indigenous peoples without being subjected to threats, harassment, or any other acts of violence for doing such work
4. Report on any actions adopted to investigate the alleged events that gave rise to the adoption of these precautionary measures, in order to prevent such events from happening again in the future

The fact that these precautionary measures have been granted and their adoption by the State do not entail a prejudgment on a potential petition that may be filed before the inter-American system to allege violations of rights protected by the American Convention on Human Rights and other applicable instruments.

The IACHR is an autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS) whose mandate is based on the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. Its mission is to promote and defend human rights throughout the Americas and to serve as an advisory body to the OAS in this area. The IACHR consists of seven independent members elected by the OAS General Assembly who serve in a personal capacity and do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 270/24

5:40 PM