UN Human Rights Chief Condemns Nicaragua’s Move to Cancel Elections

UN human rights chief deplores intensifying repression in Nicaragua and calls for restoration of freedoms and the rule of law.

Published On 22 Jul 202622 Jul 2026

The UN human rights chief Volker Turk denounced the intensifying repression of civil and political rights in Nicaragua, following President Daniel Ortega’s announcement of a plan to bar elections and exclude opposition voices.

Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned on Wednesday that recent developments have deepened restrictions on fundamental freedoms, dismantled civic space, and eroded the rule of law in Nicaragua.

He urged authorities to reopen civic space and restore the rule of law, warning that independent expression is systematically suppressed and insisting that individuals of all political affiliations must be permitted to vote and contest office, in accordance with the nation’s international human rights obligations.

The statement also highlighted the recent, unexplained revocation of several lawyers’ credentials and noted that at least 46 individuals remain arbitrarily detained for political reasons.

Turk expressed further concern about the treatment of religious groups, citing the unresolved whereabouts of 80‑year‑old Bishop Abelardo Mata Guevara, detained on June 29, and urged Managua to release all those detained arbitrarily with humanity and dignity.

Since the deadly 2018 crackdown on protests, which the UN reported left more than 300 dead, Ortega and Murillo have consolidated their control over Nicaraguan society.

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