GENEVA - UN experts* today expressed deep concern today over reports indicating that individuals subjected to enforced disappearance may have died in custody under conditions that could amount to torture.
"When a person is forcibly disappeared, every minute matters, and it causes immense suffering and anguish for their families, who are left trapped between uncertainty about the fate of their loved ones and hope," the experts said.
Brooklyn Rivera, a member of the National Assembly and leader of the Miskito people, was detained and subsequently forcibly disappeared in September 2023 by members of Nicaragua's National Police. Information suggests he may have died while in detention.
The experts also received information indicating that another forcibly disappeared person died in February 2026 while detained, and that their body was returned to relatives without a death certificate.
"In these cases, months and years have passed without verifiable information about the fate or whereabouts of the forcibly disappeared," the experts stated.
Detention conditions in Nicaragua are reportedly inhumane, and those who have been forcibly disappeared may have been subjected to torture and other cruel treatment. According to reports, one such person is being held with their hands and feet chained and is periodically sedated. Curtains have reportedly been placed over the bars of their cell to prevent other detainees from seeing inside. They are also allegedly denied medical care.
Despite repeated requests from relatives, police and prison authorities have systematically concealed the fate and whereabouts of these individuals, denying access or confirmation of their presence in any detention facility and providing no information about their health status or, in cases of death during detention, the circumstances and causes of death or the location of their remains. Meanwhile, courts have refused to admit habeas corpus petitions, leaving families without any effective remedy.
"It is deeply troubling that people in Nicaragua lack effective judicial mechanisms to protect their rights, enabling the continuation of serious human rights violations," the experts said.
Relatives of the forcibly disappeared also fear reprisals, leading to significant underreporting of cases of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance.
"What we are observing appears to be a deliberate strategy of resorting to the most serious and terrifying human rights violations to silence dissent and control the population," the experts noted.
"We urgently call for the immediate clarification of the fate and whereabouts of more than 112 victims of enforced disappearance in the country, whose cases have been communicated to the Government by the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, so far without response. We also call for immediate proof of life of Brooklyn Rivera and, if he has died during detention, for information on the circumstances and causes of his death and the location of his remains."
"We further urge the authorities to promptly conduct independent, impartial, thorough, and transparent investigations into deaths in custody and to hold all responsible parties accountable."
The experts remain in contact with the Government of Nicaragua regarding these matters.
