The UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution on Thursday which will form a group of three experts to investigate possible human rights violations Nicaragua since April 2018, when a popular revolt broke out that has been described as an attempted coup by Daniel Ortega’s regime.
The resolution, adopted by 20 votes for the member countries, 7 against (Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Honduras, Russia, China and Eritrea) and 20 abstentions decided to form this investigative mechanism with the mandate to “collect, store and analyze information and evidence” about these possible human rights violations “in order to identify those responsible”, quoted EFE.
With an initial term of one year, This mission will have a mission similar to that approved for Venezuela in 2019 by another Human Rights Council resolution, making it the second investigative mechanism of its kind for Latin American countries.
The resolution was tabled by Ecuador, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Paraguay and Peru and supported by nearly fifty governments.
The document also expresses concern about “the deterioration of democracy and the human rights situation in Nicaragua.”where there has been “an increase in restrictions on democratic space and suppression of dissent”.
This repression includes “acts of intimidation, harassment and illegal or arbitrary surveillance of human rights defenders”, underlines a text deploring the lack of accountability for these events for four years, as well as the prohibition of peaceful demonstrations and trials without due process.
The document calls on the Nicaraguan authorities to stop arbitrary arrests and intimidationthe immediate release of those unjustly detained; and investigating cases of harassment of political leaders, journalists, activists and other critics of the Ortega administration.
He specifically mentions and regrets the recent death of political prisoner Hugo Torres, a historic former Sandinista guerrilla fighter, who died “in appalling conditions” on February 12 after months in detention.
The resolution also shows its concern about the violations of civil and political rights in connection with the presidential elections in November past and deplores “the failure of the government of Nicaragua to implement electoral and institutional reforms that would guarantee free and fair elections”.
Before voting on the resolution, Nicaragua Attorney General Wendy Carolina Morales intervened via videoconference to show the Nicaraguan government’s “absolute rejection” of this and other Human Rights Council decisions of recent years condemning the situation in the central American country .
The texts of these resolutions “continue to contain assessments derived from the economic and political interests of imperialist countries whose sole purpose is to harm the dignity and sovereignty of peoples,” he assured.
The delegations of the member countries of the Council who voted againstlike Venezuela, Cuba, China or Russia, agreed to reject a text which it believes involves interference in Nicaragua’s internal affairs Politically motivated.
The investigative mechanism created “does not have the consent of the country and does not contribute to the promotion of dialogue or cooperation and encourages the confrontation and politicization of this council,” the Chinese delegation assured, while Venezuela reiterated that the expert group would have “para-police powers”. .
Nevertheless, Countries in the region like Mexico and Argentina voted in favor of the mechanism.
In Nicaragua, the UN investigative mechanism had already been called for last month by civil society actors such as the 46/2 collective, which brings together 16 national and international human rights organizations.