Transnational repression in Nicaragua leaves the exiled vulnerable, UN confirms

RIDHE's Emergency Education program shares his memories that unfold a tapestry of stories, dreams and struggles.

September 24, 2025.- The progressive deterioration of the rule of law and democracy in Nicaragua is once again at the center of the agenda of UN Human Rights Council. At its sixtieth session in Geneva, Switzerland, the Group of Experts on Human Rights on Nicaragua (GHREN) submitted a report confirming the international persecution against Nicaraguan opponents.

Under the title “Nicaragua: Persecution across Borders, Exile and Transnational Human Rights Violations”, the report presents ample evidence as a complement to the update of the High Commissioner's Report on the serious situation in the country so far in 2025. The GHREN confirmed what several organizations have been denouncing for some time:Opposition people in exile are being deprived of their nationality, they are denied passports and are subject to digital surveillance, confiscation of assets and threats against their families in Nicaragua.

The president of the group, created to follow up on the deepening of rights violations in the country, Jan-Michael Simon, warned At a press conference, the lives of those who are arbitrarily denationalized are systematically dismantled: it begins with uprooting and the loss of legal identity, and continues with economic collapse, social isolation and constant surveillance.

The report on transnational persecution focuses on the victims and on the methods used by the State of Nicaragua to deter, punish and silence Nicaraguans in exile. These violations transcend borders and reinforce a generalized climate of fear, lack of protection, isolation and self-censorship, as part of a state policy aimed at suppressing any form of dissent.

In addition, the GHREN formed a systematic pattern of punishment by association that directly affects families of opposition people in exile. These are children, minor daughters and sons, spouses, older adults and even caregivers who have been subject to surveillance, harassment, arbitrary arrests and confiscations. Among the most serious violations are the manipulation of birth certificates to erase affiliation with denaturalized parents and the denial of travel documents, measures that violate children's right to identity, family reunification and freedom of movement.

From the International Human Rights Network Europe (RIDHE) we denounce that these practices not only seek to silence political dissent, but that they use the most vulnerable people — girls, boys and families — as tools of repression. The human cost is profound, the forced separation of families, self-censorship in exile and serious effects on the mental health of children. These events constitute serious and systematic violations of human rights that require an urgent international response, with effective protection mechanisms for victims and accountability for the Nicaraguan State.

La RIDHE participated in the Interactive Dialogue following the update of the Report of the United Nations High Commissioners, which denounced the attack on academic freedom and the impossibility of fully exercising the right to education. In addition, we draw attention to the crisis that public universities in Nicaragua are going through with arbitrary dismissals, practices of political proselytizing and systematic State intervention that undermines their autonomy, degrades educational quality and violates the rights of students and teachers.

The High Commissioner's report warned of the serious deterioration of human rights in Nicaragua, marked by the lack of separation of powers, the persecution of critics and the closure of democratic space. He also pointed out that recent legal reforms are not simple administrative changes, but rather mechanisms to consolidate an authoritarian regime without any control.

At RIDHE, we highlight the human impact of this crisis: thousands of people live in forced exile, many stripped of their nationality and property, while arbitrary arrests, torture and restrictions on freedom of religion, expression and association continue in the country. These measures hit entire families and entire communities.

Finally, we warn about the data documented by the High Commissioner regarding different types of violence against women. Among them, there was a 21% increase in femicides in 2024 compared to the previous year, as well as the persistence of acts of sexual violence against women and girls, including indigenous women, and serious abuses in detention centers. In addition, the absolute ban on abortion continues to violate the sexual and reproductive rights of many women.

We support the High Commissioner's recommendations that urge UN States to increase diplomatic pressure, apply selective sanctions, support victims and strengthen international documentation.

The situation in Nicaragua is not only an internal matter, but a threat to the principles of international law and the universal protection of human rights.