IACHR grants precautionary measures to judicial official in Nicaragua

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has issued precautionary measures for Daysi Amelia Castillo Álvarez, a Nicaraguan judicial official, citing her serious and urgent situation within the country. Castillo Álvarez has been detained since January 2025 and is reportedly being held incommunicado.

The IACHR stated that Castillo Álvarez's rights to life, personal integrity, and health face a risk of irreparable harm in Nicaragua. The applicant informed the Commission that Castillo Álvarez, who served as a judicial clerk, was detained by state authorities on January 7, 2025. Since her arrest, her family and associates have received no official information regarding her detention conditions or health status, despite their efforts to ascertain her well-being.

Currently, there is no official reason or public formal charges against Castillo Álvarez. Prior to her detention, she worked at the sole local court in Moyogalpa, on Ometepe Island in the Rivas department. Her position as a special secretary was noted in an official gazette publication.

The IACHR highlighted that the Nicaraguan State did not respond to the request for information submitted during the precautionary measures procedure. Consequently, the Commission determined that Castillo Álvarez is at risk and susceptible to further rights violations. She remains in state custody without official updates on her condition, access to medical care, or possibility of visits from her family, facing prolonged and total incommunicado detention.

Therefore, the IACHR has formally requested Nicaragua to implement the necessary measures to safeguard Castillo Álvarez's rights to life, personal integrity, and health. The Commission also urged the state to clarify the circumstances and conditions of her detention. Nicaragua has been experiencing a significant political and social crisis since April 2018, which intensified following the controversial 2021 elections.

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in a situation of gravity and urgency given that her rights to life, personal integrity and health face a risk of irreparable harm in Nicaragua.