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RIDHE and RedProdePaz denounce criminalization of critical academics and students in Nicaragua before the Human Rights Council

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

GENEVA, February 28, 2025. On the occasion of the 58th session of the Human Rights Council, the International Human Rights Network Europe (RIDHE) and RedProdePaz Nicaragua have denounced the persistence of state policy that threatens academic freedom and university autonomy in Nicaragua. During 2025, both organizations have documented an increase in institutionalized political indoctrination within the country's universities, a situation that has worsened due to Executive interference through the National Council of Universities and the implementation of reforms that have eliminated their autonomy.

This crisis has deepened with the recent constitutional reform promoted by the Executive and approved by the National Assembly, which subordinates fundamental rights to the so-called “supreme values of peace and security”. These concepts, ambiguous and subject to arbitrary interpretation, have been used to justify systematic violations of human rights. As a result, the production and dissemination of critical knowledge within the framework of academic freedom has been left at risk of being completely suppressed.

One of the most alarming aspects of this reform is the criminalization of those who promote “foreign interference”, calling them “traitors to the homeland” and exposing them to the arbitrary loss of their nationality. This measure represents a serious threat to students, academics, human rights defenders and other government critics who participate in international bodies. It should be remembered that more than 200 Nicaraguans have been stripped of their nationality under similar justifications.

In addition, these constitutional reforms have raised serious concerns about respect for the rule of law and the rights of vulnerable groups, including the LGBTIQ+ community and indigenous peoples, who are already facing discrimination and retaliation in Nicaragua.

Faced with this situation, we urge the international community to condemn these violations and demand that the State of Nicaragua comply with its international obligations in the field of human rights. We also urge the renewal of the mandate of the Group of Experts on Human Rights on Nicaragua and the preparation of periodic reports by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, in order to document and make visible these violations and seek accountability mechanisms for those responsible.