Thank you, President:
We thank the UN High Commissioner for his presentation and his report.
Jubilee Campaign and ADF International would like to bring the Council’s attention to egregious violations of freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief carried out, instigated, or condoned by Nicaraguan authorities.
We condemn the 19th August decision by the Government of Nicaragua to outlaw 1500 civil society groups, half of them churches and other religious associations. On the 29th August the government shuttered another 169 civil society groups. The government has also seized and confiscated property and assets of these civil society groups.
While we welcome the release of the 135 political prisoners in Nicaragua of which 11 were pastors and ministers with a Christian organisation, the government has forced them to live in exile.
We urge the Human Rights Council to hold Nicaraguan authorities accountable and utilizing all available tools, including economic and political pressure, to ensure that Nicaragua:
- Rescind its rulings revoking the legal status of religious associations.
- Return the operation licenses of Catholic and other Christian-run organizations, associations, and radio services;
- Cease the practice of monitoring, abducting, and detaining leaders and notable figures of the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations;
- Allow the re-entry into and temporary residence within Nicaragua of foreign missionaries and priests and former religious prisoners of conscience;
- Permit safe and uninterrupted religious worship services, observations of holy days, pilgrimages, and memorial Masses;
- Investigate and prosecute perpetrators of physical attacks on Catholic houses of worship and other infrastructure.
Thank you.
Oral-Statement_IDNicaragua