In the early evening of Monday, 4 May, the Council of the European Union decided to sanction six leaders in Daniel Ortega’s Nicaraguan regime who are held responsible for serious human rights violations and repression of civil society and the political opposition, as EUROPE had anticipated (see EUROPE 12478/41).
These six persons—who are prohibited from entering the EU and whose EU assets have been frozen—are Ramón Antonio Avellán Medal, deputy director-general of the Nicaraguan National Police; Sonia Castro González, special advisor to President Ortega on health issues; Francisco Javier Díaz Madriz, director general of the Nicaraguan National Police; Néstor Moncada Lau, personal advisor to Mr Ortega; Luís Pérez Olivas, general commissioner and chief of the Judicial Assistance Directorate in the El Chipote penitentiary centre; and Justo Pastor Urbina, head of the Police Special Operations Unit (DOEP).
They may request a review of the Council Decision before 1 July 2020.
Justifying this decision, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell reiterated a previous observation that “no tangible advances have been made on democracy and human rights in Nicaragua”.
The European Union is calling upon the Nicaraguan authorities to fully comply with the commitments made in March 2019 in three areas: implementation of the agreements restoring civil and political rights (reestablishing the legal status of banned civil society organisations, releasing political prisoners, etc.); full cooperation with relevant international human rights organisations, such as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); and the search for an agreement with the opposition on institutional reforms guaranteeing the organisation of credible, free elections (appointing new members to the Consejo Supremo Electoral).
Faced with the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Borrell emphasises that the EU is ready to render assistance to the Nicaraguan people.
See the EU Council Decision: https://bit.ly/3b3mYyJ (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)