Freedom of expression organisations demand the immediate release of the Ticay and the suspension of the recent constitutional reforms linked to the crime of "treason", which can be used against critics or opponents of the regime.
The Nicaraguan authorities maintain a policy of criminalisation against independent journalism in Nicaragua. The arrest, imprisonment, accusations and conviction of journalist Víctor Ticay are the most recent example of the systematic violation of human rights in Nicaragua.
On 1 June 2023, freedom of expression organisations condemned the arrest of Nicaraguan journalist Víctor Ticay, in retaliation for reporting on one of his social media accounts about a Catholic celebration on 5 April 2023. Daniel Ortega’s regime banned religious expression in public spaces and, as seen in the case of the journalist, the coverage of such events was the justification for the prosecution of independent journalists.
On 19 May 2023, the Nicaraguan National Prosecutor’s Office charged Víctor Ticay with the alleged crimes of treason and cybercrime. According to information that was available, he was held incommunicado and in legal limbo for more than 40 days. Ticay is a contributor to Canal 10 and director of the website “La Portada” where he has documented violations of freedom of expression and press freedom in Nicaragua.
Despite public condemnation of his detention by international human rights bodies and organisations, as well as a campaign calling for his release by fellow journalists, on 16 August it was announced that the journalist was sentenced to 8 years in prison – 5 years for the alleged crime of treason and 3 more years for cybercrime.
We are concerned that Víctor Ticay may be at risk of losing his citizenship due to constitutional reforms, given the context of the 222 citizens who have been banished, and as part of a strategy by the authorities to force journalists, human rights defenders, and activists, among others, into exile.
In addition to Ticay, two other journalists have been prosecuted in recent months for allegedly spreading false news. On 3 May, Hazel Zamora, director of Doce Noticias and correspondent for Canal 10, and William Aragón (former correspondent for La Prensa) were arrested and granted conditional release. In addition, at the beginning of July, Aragón was denied medical attention at the public Health Centre and at the Juan Antonio Brenes Palacios hospital in Somoto despite his health condition.
The current conditions have forced the country’s journalists and media to take the drastic measure of going into exile, as a result of the government’s persecution, as a way of safeguarding their physical, professional and emotional integrity. On 3 August, at least eight more journalists were reported to have been forcibly displaced, including Marcos Medina, a journalist with Radio Corporación and Fuentes Confiables, who, along with his family, was banned from entering Nicaragua on 24 July after a trip to the United States.
On 31 March 2023, a report by the UN Group of Experts detailed the seriousness of the attack on human rights in Nicaragua as “a result of the deliberate dismantling of democratic institutions and the destruction of civic space”. The same Group of Experts stated the importance of the international community continuing to monitor the situation in the country. Furthermore, on 18 April, on the anniversary of the repression against government opponents, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights called for the re-establishment of democracy through a process that guarantees access to justice. In order to lay the foundations of democracy, the guarantee of freedom of expression is fundamental.
The undersigned organisations demand the immediate release of the journalist Víctor Ticay and the suspension of the recent constitutional reforms linked to the crime of “treason”, as they are a vehicle that seeks to facilitate the violation of the human rights of critics, opponents or those perceived as such. We also reiterate our demand to the Nicaraguan authorities to put an end to the wave of repression against critical voices in Nicaragua.
We call on the international community to follow, monitor and support the victims of the authoritarian regime in Nicaragua.
The undersigned organisations reiterate our commitment to defending human rights and fundamental freedoms in Nicaragua. We continue to work on monitoring, documenting and denouncing attacks on freedom of expression, and advocating before the Inter-American System and the Universal System for the protection of Human Rights, with the aim of guaranteeing justice, reparation and non-repetition for the victims.
Latin America, 17 August 2023