UN rights chief condemns Nicaragua’s decision to abolish elections

UN rights chief condemns worsening repression in Nicaragua, urging the restoration of freedoms and the rule of law.The United Nations Human Rights chief has condemned Nicaragua’s escalating crackdown on civil and political rights, days after President Daniel Ortega announced a plan to block elections and shut out the opposition.UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Wednesday that the “latest developments further deepen the severe restrictions on fundamental freedoms, the dismantling of civic space, and the steady erosion of the rule of law” in the Central American country.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Iran’s judiciary warns against ‘infiltrators’, announces new executionslist 2 of 3US judge sets 2027 trial date for Venezuela’s Madurolist 3 of 3Key takeaways from Khalil al-Hayya’s first speech as Hamas leaderend of listOrtega, a former leftist fighter who has ruled Nicaragua for almost two decades alongside his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, said on Sunday that “there won’t be elections” in the country, a move that would remove any prospect of a challenge to the couple’s rule.General elections were due in November, but constitutional reforms passed 18 months ago extended the presidential term from 5 to 6 years, pushing the vote back to 2027.Turk said power in Nicaragua was increasingly being concentrated “under the co-presidency”, with the ruling Sandinista party already holding full control over parliament, all municipalities and the regional councils on the North and South Caribbean Coast.He called on the authorities to “reopen civic space, and restore the rule of law”, warning that “independent expression of thought or opinion is systematically suppressed”, urging that “people of all political viewpoints must be allowed to vote and run for office, in line with the State’s international human rights obligations”.