IACHR Grants Precautionary Measures in Favor of Journalist María Lilly Delgado Talavera in Nicaragua

December 9, 2021

Washington, D.C. – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued Resolution 101/21 on December 8, 2021, to grant precautionary measures in favor of María Lilly Delgado Talavera in Nicaragua, in the belief that she faces a serious, urgent risk of suffering irreparable harm to her rights.

According to the requesting party, María Lilly Delgado Talavera has recently been the target of harassment, intimidation, and surveillance based on her work as a journalist in Nicaragua. These events allegedly happened after the beneficiary was linked to an ongoing criminal investigation involving Cristiana Chamorro and former workers of the Violeta Barrios de Chamorro Foundation. The information that was submitted by the State failed to prove that risk factors have been mitigated.

After assessing the legal and factual allegations submitted by the parties and the overall context, the Commission has asked the State of Nicaragua to take the following action:

1. Adopt any measures necessary—with a gender perspective—to protect María Lilly Delgado Talavera's rights to life and personal integrity (to that end, the State needs both to ensure that its officers will respect the beneficiary's life and personal integrity and to protect her rights from dangerous acts that may be perpetrated by third parties, in compliance with the standards of international human rights law)
2. Take any measures necessary to enable María Lilly Delgado Talavera to do her work as a journalist as required, without being subjected to intimidation, threats, harassment, or any other forms of violence for doing such work (this includes taking measures to enable her to exercise her right to freedom of expression)
3. Come to an agreement with the beneficiary and her representatives concerning any measures that need to be taken
4. Report on any actions adopted to investigate the alleged events that gave rise to the adoption of this precautionary measure, in order to prevent such events from happening again in the future

The fact that this precautionary measure has been granted and its 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.

A principal, autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), the IACHR derives its mandate from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has a mandate to promote respect for and to defend human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this area. The Commission is composed of seven independent members who are elected in an individual capacity by the OAS General Assembly and who do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 329/21

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