Human Rights Council President Names New Member of Nicaragua Human Rights Probe

GENEVA, 19 September 2024 – The President of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Omar Zniber (Morocco), has appointed Reed Bródy of Hungary as member of the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua.

Mr. Bródy’s appointment follows the resignation of Ángela María Buitrago as member of the Group of Human Rights Experts, which was created by the Human Rights Council in 2022 to “investigate all alleged human rights violations and abuses committed in Nicaragua since April 2018.”

Mr. Bródy has worked for 40 years on the forefront of the human rights movement, playing a facilitating role in democratic transitions, building, and helping others build strong NGOs, creating UN mechanisms to fight abuse, and uncovering atrocities and bringing their perpetrators to justice. He currently serves as a Commissioner of the International Commission of Jurists and works as an attorney in private practice.

Mr. Bródy has extensive experience with Nicaragua. His 1984 investigation uncovered atrocities by the U.S.-backed "contras" against Nicaraguan civilians, which was used as evidence in the International Court of Justice case on military and paramilitary activities.

He has taught courses on accountability for international crimes at Columbia Law School and the American University Washington College of Law. He is currently on the Advisory Board of the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, the Board of Democracy for the Arab World Now and is the President of the Rose Lokissim Association that works in Africa.

Mr. Bródy joins Jan-Michael Simon (Germany), Chair of the Group of Human Rights Experts, and Ariela Peralta Distefano (Uruguay) on the three-member body.

In its most recent update to the Human Rights Council at its 57th session, the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua warned on 10 September 2024 that the human rights situation in Nicaragua had dramatically worsened since last year, with the Government continuing to facilitate, coordinate and execute serious human rights violations and abuses. The Human Rights Council has requested the Group to present a written report at its 58th session in February/March 2025. 

The Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua was established on 31 March 2022 by resolution 49/3 of the Human Rights Council in which it decided to establish a body to thoroughly examine human rights violations in Nicaragua since April 2018, establish facts, identify those responsible, preserve evidence, make recommendations for improving human rights and access to justice, and engage with various stakeholders to support accountability efforts.

On 3 April 2023, the Council extended the mandate of the Group of Experts until 31 March 2025.