Freedom of Expression
Press release R31/23
On Journalists' Day in
Nicaragua, the Office of the Special Rapporteur sends a message of solidarity,
support and commitment to the work of the Nicaraguan press
March 1, 2023
Washington D.C. - On
the day of the Nicaraguan journalist, the Office of the Special Rapporteur
reaffirms its commitment to the full guarantee of the right to freedom of
expression in Nicaragua and reiterates its call to the State to immediately
cease the actions of threats, harassment and judicial persecution against
journalists and communicators.
Since the beginning of
the social, political, and human rights crisis in Nicaragua in April 2018, the
Office of the Special Rapporteur has documented a gradual increase in
repressive actions against the independent press in Nicaragua, particularly
against those who report on matters of public and political interest. In this
framework, in 2022, SRFOE received information about an increase in police
operations in residences of journalists and media facilities, raids,
confiscation of media, seizure of work equipment, displacement and forced exile
of journalists. Likewise, the information reported indicates that some media
outlets have cut back their coverage of political issues due to government
threats to close them down. The complaints received by this Office show that
the actions of the State seek to silence the press and control any discourse
that questions or contradicts the official voices, undermining the basic guarantees
for the exercise of fundamental freedoms.
In this context, the
Rapporteur’s Office also learned of the release from prison of at least 7
journalists and media executives, among more than 200 other persons deprived of
their liberty for political reasons in Nicaragua, on February 9, 2023. As
recently indicated by the IACHR, during the early hours of that day, 222
political prisoners were released from prison and deported to the United States
of America on the same day in compliance with a ruling by Criminal Chamber One
of the Court of Appeals of Managua, which ordered the immediate deportation of
these individuals.
Additionally, on
February 15, the Court of Appeals of Managua communicated the judicial
resolution by which 94 persons identified as political opponents were deprived
of their nationality, their political rights and all their properties, who were
described as "fugitives from justice" and "traitors to the
homeland". As far as this Office was able to learn, among this group of
people there are at least 13 journalists and communicators.
For the SRFOE, these
measures, together with others on which the IACHR and its Special Rapporteur’s
Office have previously pronounced, contribute to consolidate a generalized
atmosphere of self-censorship and zones of media silence in Nicaragua, where
there is little or no independent news coverage. The Office of the Special
Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression has emphasized that the use of State
mechanisms to regulate aspects directly or indirectly related to freedom of
expression, "with the aim of intimidating dissidents and thus inhibiting
their critical manifestations" is a form of indirect censorship and is
prohibited by inter-American human rights standards. In this regard, the
Rapporteur’s Office recalls that "when the law is used for the purpose of
eliminating or appeasing criticism or dissent, what exists is persecution and
not a legitimate attempt to strengthen the rule of law". These measures
are also incompatible with the principles of pluralism and tolerance, typical
of democratic societies.
In addition, the Special
Rapporteur’s Office has received information on the persistent challenges to
the sustainability of independent journalism, both inside and outside
Nicaragua. In this regard, there are economic difficulties, but also related to
the lack of sources to report on the human rights situation in Nicaragua.
In view of the above
information, the Rapporteur’s Office reiterates its call to the State of
Nicaragua to cease all repressive actions against journalists and communicators
who exercise their right to freedom of expression. Likewise, they call on the
international community to continue supporting and protecting the work of the
Nicaraguan press, and to deploy its efforts to strengthen Nicaraguan
journalism. Finally, the SRFOE expresses its solidarity with the journalists
who have been arbitrarily stripped of their nationality; at the same time, it
emphasizes its commitment to continue monitoring the situation of freedom of
expression and press freedom in Nicaragua, and to promote the reestablishment
of guarantees for its full exercise.
The Office of the
Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression is an office created by the
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to stimulate the hemispheric
defense of the right to freedom of thought and expression, considering its
fundamental role in the consolidation and development of the democratic system.
R31/2023