The United Nations Committee against Torture and the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture have jointly condemned the refusal of the Nicaraguan government, led by Daniel Ortega, to cooperate with the two bodies’ investigations.
«This is the first time that the two bodies have taken joint action in respect of an uncooperative State party,» specified the Committee’s chairman, Claude Heller, adding that, «in view of the gravity of the situation,» they have decided to publish a confidential report on the Subcommittee’s visit to the country in 2014.
For her part, Subcommittee chair Suzanne Jabbour has argued that this decision «will have a preventive effect.» «We hope that it can be useful for all actors on the ground,» she said, explaining that Nicaragua did not provide «the required information» on the recommendations made following the visit.
The organization also explained that in July Nicaragua refused to send a delegation to participate in the review of a periodic report of the Committee, so the text was examined in the absence of the State and the concluding observations were transmitted to the authorities, who also failed to send a response.
The Committee had already regretted in another statement on Friday that Nicaragua ignored its obligation to report on the process under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
It also expressed concern about police violence, acts of torture and arbitrary detentions during the April 2018 demonstrations, while urging the authorities to guarantee the rights of all detainees.
