Nicaragua: Churches suffer major Easter restrictions

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral, León. Photo by Intricate Explorer on Unsplash

Source: CSW

Catholic and Protestant churches across Nicaragua were subjected to restrictions between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, as the government continues to crack down on religious groups across the country. Tensions were especially high this year, with Good Friday falling on the anniversary of the 2018 protests which triggered the ongoing crackdown on civil society.

Public processions and other religious activities were prohibited. According to Despacho 505, religious leaders were warned not to go outside, use fireworks, or mention exiles or prisoners in their prayers. The government took action to enforce the observance of these restrictions. On 18 April, for example, three police vehicles carrying 24 riot officers were stationed outside Santiago Apostol Cathedral in Boaco Municipality while the church celebrated the Via Crucis. The Nuestra Señora de la Asunción Cathedral in Juigalpa Municipality also reported the presence of a police vehicle with six riot and four police officers as well as local state-controlled media.

On 20 April five uniformed police officers stationed themselves outside a Protestant Evangelical Church in Rio San Juan Department. The same day, the Nuestra Señora del Rosario Cathedral in Bluefields Municipality reported that 11 police officers were situated outside the entrance of the church.

These reports are part of a concerning uptick in violations of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in Nicaragua in the first quarter of 2025. Between January and April CSW has documented 107 separate violations, just shy of half the 222 violations CSW recorded in 2024. The majority of these cases involve some form of threat or harassment; 13 violations were reports of arbitrary detention, for nine of which the individual in question was placed under 'precautionary measures'. Many religious leaders have reported the presence of intelligence police officers dressed in civilian clothing assigned to monitor and report on the content of sermons, as well as church social media channels.

CSW's CEO Scot Bower said: "The presence of riot police and National Police officers during peaceful Easter celebrations is both excessive and unwarranted. It is unconscionable that religious leaders and their communities simply wishing to peacefully practice their faith continue to be targeted relentlessly by a regime set on silencing its critics.

Given Nicaragua's withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council, we urge the international community to seek creative ways to hold President Daniel Ortega, his wife Rosario Murillo, and their regime to account for the deteriorating situation of human rights in the country."

On 24 February the UN Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua (GHREN), a group tasked with investigating human rights violations, some of which amount to crimes against humanity, committed in the country since April 2018, published its latest report to the Human Rights Council (HRC). A day later Nicaragua announced its withdrawal from the Council and all related mechanisms.