A new report presented to the Human Rights Council urges the Nicaraguan Government, led by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, to ensure accountability, restore civic space, and guarantee the rights of all citizens, including those living in exile. The report states that “Repression and institutional corruption have become the governing method” in Nicaragua under the Ortega-Murillo family’s control. Political persecution, financed and executed by the state through its institutions, extends beyond national borders to silence any opposition.
The report, compiled from dozens of interviews and extensive documentary evidence, details how government funds designated for social assistance, cleaning projects, and operational expenses since 2018 have been diverted to finance violent security operations, including the crackdown on nationwide protests in 2018. “The misuse and diversion of public resources have directly contributed to the commission of serious human rights violations,” stated Reed Brody, a member of the Human Rights Council-appointed expert body. He added that “Repression in Nicaragua is not improvised – it is structured and corruptly financed.”
Transnational Surveillance and Repression
The document outlines a vast transnational surveillance and intelligence network used to monitor, intimidate, and target hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans residing abroad. The government has arbitrarily stripped 452 Nicaraguans of their nationality, rendered thousands more exiles by denying necessary documentation, and prevented many from returning to Nicaragua. Additionally, exiled individuals have faced surveillance, harassment, smear campaigns, property confiscations, and retaliatory actions against their relatives in Nicaragua.
“The co-presidents have built an apparatus that hunts down dissents wherever they may be…No-one is beyond the reach of this repressive regime,” warned Mr. Brody during a press conference. The report highlights at least a dozen reported cases of killings or attempted killings of exiled critics, including the June 2025 murder in Costa Rica of retired army major and government critic Roberto Samcam.
Intelligence Structure and Crimes Against Humanity Allegations
The report details a complex intelligence structure that integrates the army, police, migration authorities, telecommunications regulators, and diplomatic missions. Digital surveillance, hacking, and doxing have also been employed to silence critics. “Diplomatic and consular structures have been instrumentalized to track, monitor and intimidate exiled Nicaraguans,” noted Ariela Peralta of the independent expert body. The report also addresses gender-based rights violations, described as “part of a deliberate repressive strategy aimed at punishing women and feminist movements for their long-standing leadership as autonomous political actors.”
The report reaffirms previous findings that violations committed since 2018 appear to constitute crimes against humanity.
Call for Urgent International Accountability
Given Nicaragua’s withdrawal of cooperation with the Human Rights Council and several UN bodies, the Group of Experts emphasizes that “international accountability is more urgent than ever.” The independent UN experts are calling on Member States to establish a comprehensive accountability framework, including universal jurisdiction, targeted sanctions, and treaty-based litigation, while ensuring robust protection for exiled populations.
