Nicaragua: PEN International condemns growing wave of repression against journalists

‘Our global community will continue to highlight and denounce repressive actions against critical journalists, authors, and media outlets who are threatened and harassed for their work and critical thoughts. We call on the Nicaraguan authorities to put an immediate end to the persecution; attempting to silence the words will not silence the truth,’ said Burhan Sonmez, President of PEN International.

26 July 2024: The Nicaraguan authorities must end its persecution of journalists, cultural workers, writers and media outlets in its’ efforts to silence them. PEN International has received reports that at least the homes of fifteen independent journalists were raided by police over the month of July. The whereabouts of at least three journalists remains unknown at the time of writing.

Since the beginning of 2024, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has observed an exponential increase in the use of various forms of harassment to intimidate independent journalists into silence, including arbitrary arrests, house visits commonly followed by daily summons to police stations, forced exile (frequently coupled with attempts to impede their return to the country), as well as the cancellation of the legal status of various independent media outlets.

Since the onset of 2024, at least 26 journalists have been forced to flee Nicaragua for their safety, increasing the number of journalists living in exile from XX to XX. The state authorities targeting of critical and independent journalists, activists, artists, media, students, clergy, political opponents – over this duration -- has reached egregious levels.

Reports from sister organisations — such as IACHR and the association Periodistas y Comunicadores Independientes de Nicaragua (PCIN) – echo concerns shared by PEN International, in its monitoring of mounting restrictions on freedom of expression. And also extend to the safety of disappeared journalist and cultural communicator, Fabiola Tercero, whose whereabouts remain unknown since 12 July 2024, following a police raid on her home.  Fabiola Tercero also runs ‘El Rincón de Fabi’, a cultural space for the free exchange of books.

PEN International would like to remind the Nicaraguan authorities of its obligations under International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance in which individuals deprived of their personal integrity must have their rights respected, this includes timely access to counsel and to be held in an official place of detention.

PEN International, reiterates its call to the Nicaraguan authorities to stop its relentless repression against journalists, media, cultural actors, writers and those who for using their words and critical ideas are victims of attacks and persecution. It demands the release of others who remain unjustly imprisoned, for their exercise of the right to peaceful expression, including the renowned academic and writer Freddy Antonio Quezada, and journalist Víctor Ticay.

War, Censorship and Persecution: PEN International Case List 2023/2024 documents censorship and history against several journalists, writers and PEN members.

Note to Editors:

For more information, please contact Alicia Quiñones, Head of the Americas Region, at PEN International, email: [email protected]

For media queries, please contact Sabrina Tucci, PEN International Communications and Campaigns Manager,  [email protected]