Comment by UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Liz Throssell on further massive closures of NGOs in Nicaragua

The decision by the Nicaraguan authorities to ban a further 1,500 civil society organisations, about half of them religious associations, is deeply alarming, all the more so in a country that has seen civic space fundamentally eroded in recent years and undue restrictions on religious freedom.   

With these closures, officially announced on Monday, more than 5,000 organisations, including NGOs, media outlets and private universities, have now had their legal status cancelled in Nicaragua, most of them since the end of June 2022. All of their assets are under Government control.

The severe impact of these measures on the rights to freedom of association and expression, as well as freedom of religion, makes the defence of human rights increasingly difficult in Nicaragua. Of those civil society organisations still functioning, many have opted for self-censorship or dissolution amid restrictive laws curtailing their activities.

We once again call on the Nicaraguan authorities to stop imposing severe restrictions on civic and democratic spaces in the country, and to ensure that human rights are respected, in line with Nicaragua’s international human rights obligations.