The newspaper La Prensa was raided and NICARAGUA its property seized in August. The general manager was detained on money laundering- Republic of Nicaragua related charges. The NGO Reporters Without Head of state and government: Daniel Ortega Saavedra Borders called for his immediate release, however, he remained in jail at the end of the Nicaragua’s human rights crisis persisted. year. Journalists, human rights defenders and During the year, the hostile environment health workers continued to face a hostile and the continuous attacks by authorities environment. Political activists, human also led a number of journalists to flee the rights defenders and journalists were country. frequently arbitrarily detained. Violence HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS against Indigenous peoples persisted. The government failed to provide accurate Human rights defenders and NGOs information about the Covid-19 pandemic. continued to face an extremely hostile BACKGROUND environment. During the year, the legal registration of at President Ortega’s fourth consecutive term of least 45 NGOs was rescinded. NGOs whose office was announced following elections in registration had been cancelled since 2018 November that were widely condemned by by the National Assembly were not reinstated the international community due to the and their confiscated assets were not severe restrictions on civil and political returned. rights. In November, Nicaragua denounced Human rights defenders were criminalized the OAS Charter. and arbitrarily detained; some remained held FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION at the end of the year. Women human rights defenders reported suffering police In May, authorities began a legal investigation harassment, criminalization, smear into the Violeta Barrios de Chamorro campaigns and threats. Foundation, one of the main organizations At least two human rights defenders were working on press freedom, for money charged under the Special Law on laundering-related charges. In June, the Cybercrimes and others were reportedly director of the Foundation, a presidential subjected to harassment, surveillance and hopeful, was arrested; she remained in threats. detention at the end of 2021. ARBITRARY DETENTION The headquarters of the online magazine Confidencial and the television programme Arbitrary detentions remained part of the Esta Semana were raided in May and the state strategy of repression. By December, director was forced back into exile. In June, local organizations reported that 160 people two journalists, Miguel Mora and Miguel detained solely for exercising their rights Mendoza, were arrested; they remained held since the 2018 protests started remained in at the end of the year. prison . Precarious detention conditions, ill- As of August, the Public Prosecutor's Office treatment and incommunicado detention had summoned for questioning more than 25 were reported by detainees’ relatives who media workers who had collaborated with the were unable to see them regularly. Women´s Violeta Barrios de Chamorro Foundation. rights organizations reported that some of the Several journalists reported being threatened women detained during the year were during interviews with criminal charges, arrested with violence sometimes in front of including under the Special Law on their children, and remained detained in very Cybercrime. precarious conditions. Some relatives of detainees reported harassment, including Amnesty International Report 2021/22 272