In 2024, violations of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in Nicaragua, under the leadership of now co-Presidents Daniel Ortega, his wife, Rosario Murillo, and the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), remained severe and numerous. Leaders of different religious groups reported that they were subject to regular harassment and surveillance by the police. Some were placed under what the government referred to as ‘precautionary measures’ and forced to make weekly, in person reports to local police and to share details of their planned activities, and were banned from leaving their municipality without government authorisation.
Most public religious activities, including traditional Roman Catholic processions and the Day of the Bible celebrations, observed by both Roman Catholics and Protestants, remained prohibited. Even inside religious buildings, religious activities were subject to overt and covert government monitoring and religious leaders were warned not to speak or pray about specific topics. Preaching about unity or justice or praying for imprisoned religious leaders or even the general situation in the country, for example, can be considered as criticism of the government and treated as a crime. Religious leaders who openly defend human rights, including FoRB, face the possibility of being arbitrarily detained in inhumane conditions and or forced into exile.
CSW recorded 222 separate FoRB cases during the period covered by this report (1 January-31 December 2024). Most cases involved multiple FoRB violations and some affected thousands of people. Members of religion or belief communities and religious leaders, including both Nicaraguan nationals and individuals holding foreign citizenship, were forcibly exiled by either being forced to exit the country, or prevented from re-entering the country after travel abroad. Religious leaders and members of religion or belief communities were subjected to short- and long-term arbitrary detention in inhumane conditions, in some cases incommunicado. The total number of religious leaders in prison at any one time fluctuated due to the forced exile of numerous political prisoners. Political prisoners are not allowed to receive or have a Bible or other religious literature in prison in violation of the Nelson Mandela Rules (the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners).
The government forcibly shut down hundreds more independent civil society organisations (iCSOs), including religious institutions, arbitrarily stripping them of their legal status, bringing the total number of iCSOs that have been made illegal to upwards of 5000. The government froze the bank accounts of some groups. In some cases, this led to the closure of the targeted institution, inability to pay staff, or was accompanied by the confiscation of property by the government or the forced exile of members. The authorities also implemented new regulations removing exemptions on religious institutions and iCSOs of a religious nature or linked to a religious group or institution to pay property taxes.
In 2024 the government continued to aggressively prohibit most public manifestations of a religious nature, including outdoor worship services and religious processions. Some religious groups, in particular those aligned with and supportive of the government, were exempt from this prohibition, with permits granted for large scale public events, and the government co-opted some religious festivals and traditions in an attempt to create an illusion of general respect for FoRB. Pro-democracy activists, human rights defenders (HRDs), members of the political opposition, and others considered by the government to be critical of its policies reported harassment and warnings from government security agents to separate themselves from religion or belief communities and to refrain from participation in religious activities.
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