Nicaragua: Rights group denounces "silent purge" of lawyers

The Group of Experts on Human Rights on Nicaragua (GHREN), a United Nations body, has issued a stark warning, denouncing the arbitrary suspension of professional titles for thousands of Nicaraguan lawyers and notaries as a significant escalation in the dismantling of the rule of law. The experts highlighted that this measure, implemented suddenly, has stripped a vital segment of the country's legal profession of their ability to practice, leaving the general population without access to legal defense.

According to testimonies gathered by GHREN, most affected professionals were not notified in advance, were not provided with legal grounds for the suspension, and received no official explanation. Many discovered their professional licenses had been revoked only when attempting to enter a courthouse, file legal documents, or verify their status in the Supreme Court's digital registry, only to find their names were no longer listed. The GHREN noted that these suspensions began surfacing in early July 2026, yet no official statement from the judiciary has clarified the scope, criteria, or total number of individuals affected.

GHREN emphasized that unjustified interference with professional credentials severely undermines justice institutions and creates substantial barriers to legal services. The group pointed out that this is not an isolated incident, as the Supreme Court has also been "arbitrarily rejecting" the mandatory renewal of notarial five-year terms for other lawyers, effectively preventing them from continuing their notarial duties. Jan-Michael Simon, the president of GHREN, stated that the evidence strongly suggests "reasonable grounds" to believe that the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo is systematically depriving numerous lawyers of their licenses.

This "silent purge" of the legal profession, as described by GHREN, follows a broader "purging of the judicial system" that has been underway since October 2023. During that period, police took control of the Supreme Court, leading to the dismissal of several high-ranking officials. In 2023 alone, the Supreme Court arbitrarily and permanently suspended at least 28 lawyers. Furthermore, eight judges have reportedly resigned or been forced out, and over a thousand judicial officials have been dismissed. The group also referenced a 2025 constitutional reform that stripped the judiciary of its independent status, redefining it as an organ coordinated by the presidency, further consolidating executive power and diminishing judicial autonomy.

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La mayoría solo tuvo conocimiento de la medida cuando intentó ingresar a un tribunal, presentar escritos judiciales o introducir su nombre en el registro digital de la Corte Suprema de Justicia y comprobó que ya no figuraba en él.