He Congress of Nicaragua approved a reform to the penal code that will allow those who commit actions abroad against the government to be tried Daniel Ortega, imposing sentences of up to 30 years in prison. This measure, which according to the opposition will be used as a “tool of transnational repression“It affects both Nicaraguans and foreigners and includes the confiscation of property.
The rule, which will come into force after its official publication, also extends these sanctions to companies and ONGThe decision coincides with a warning from the UN about the “serious” deterioration of the human rights in Nicaraguawhich includes an increase in arbitrary arrests, mistreatment and persecution of opponents.
Since the 2018 protests, which left more than 300 dead in three months according to the UN, the Ortega government has intensified repression and cerrado more than 5,500 NGOs, confiscating their assets.
Felix Maradiaga, a former presidential candidate exiled in the United States, said that this law “extends Ortega’s repressive reach internationally,” allowing him to persecute dissidents anywhere in the world.
This position was supported by the NGO Cejil, which considers that the reform seeks to “legitimize new practices that violate human rights.” According to Claudia Paz y Paz, director of Cejil for Mexico and Central America, these types of trials violate fundamental guarantees of the right to defense.
For his part, Arturo McFields, former Nicaraguan ambassador to the OAS, now in exile, warned that Ortega is seeking to give a “legal veneer” to his repressive actions. He said that this reform allows the regime to continue attacking its political adversaries, consolidating a legal framework that perpetuates the persecution of any critical voice, inside and outside the country.
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2024-09-07 08:39:09