human rights defender

Nidia Lorena Barboza Castillo

Urgent support needed

(AI translated) Accompaniment for the search for justice

Organization affiliation

  • Alianza Cívica por la Justicia y la Democracia (ACJD)

HRD's year of birth

1955

HRD's Gender

Woman

Type of HRD

  • Lawyer

HRD's thematic area of engagement

  • Civil and political rights

HRD's geographical origin

Urban

Current Status

Released

HRD's bio and work

(AI translated) Lawyer, originally from Nindirí, Masaya, teacher, activist, human rights defender, self-convoked. She joined the peaceful social protests in April 2018 following reforms to the Nicaraguan Social Security Institute and the aggression carried out by the National Police and sympathizers of the ruling party against elderly protesters. During the presidency of Ing. Enrique Bolaños in Nicaragua, she was deputy director of the General Directorate of Migration and Foreigners. She was arrested on November 6, 2021, for publishing a prayer called "for a better Nicaragua" on social media.

Detained since

Jun 11, 2021

Date of release

Sep 2, 2023

Charge(s)

  • Spreading fake news
  • Subversion

Sentence

(AI translated) 11 years of prison

Geolocation of detention

Country or area of detention

Region of detention

  • Americas: Latin America and the Caribbean

Location of detention - City/Town

La Palmera

Location of detention - Facility

Centro Penitenciario de Granada

Allegations / reports of ill-treatment

(AI translated) She was detained without a court order and held incommunicado for more than fifteen days without being presented before the judicial authorities, subjected to prolonged interrogations at any time of day or night. During her time in the Granada prison, Nicaragua, her health deteriorated considerably, in addition to the cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment she received from the Granada prison authorities, to the point that on May 19, 2021, she was taken out of her cell, transferred to the Japan-Nicaragua Friendship Hospital in Granada and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit in critical condition, without the prison authorities notifying her family. She was later transferred back to the Granada Prison despite her delicate health condition, due to the inadequate conditions in which she remained and without receiving the necessary, timely and proper medical attention to treat her various health issues. She was released from prison and exiled on February 9, 2021, and on February 10, the Supreme Court of Justice deprived her of her citizenship and confiscated her property.

Recent case update / evolution

(AI translated) Sentence details: 11 years in prison, disqualified from holding public office, and a fine of 800 days.

She was released and exiled to the United States, where her Nicaraguan citizenship was revoked, and the Supreme Court of Justice issued a resolution for the confiscation of her assets. She is currently exiled in Costa Rica. Her case is being documented to be presented to international human rights organizations in search of justice under international law.

Any other relevant documents

(AI translated) Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Precautionary Measures No. 608-22 and No. 625-22, Resolution 47/2022, https://www.oas.org/en/iachr/decisions/mc/2022/res_47-22_mc_608-22_and_no._625-22_ni_en.pdf

IAHCR Grants Precautionary Measures to Edder Oniel Muñoz Centeno and Nidia Lorena Barbosa Castillo in Nicaragua, https://www.oas.org/en/iachr/jsForm/?File=/en/iachr/press/comunicados/2022/216.asp

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