Nicaragua: The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the United Nations Human Rights Council finds 2018 detention of Lucia Pineda arbitrary

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June 9, 2020, Nicaragua -- The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the United Nations Human Rights Council approved a resolution on May 1, calling the detention of journalists Lucía Pineda and Miguel Mora in December 2018 "arbitrary" and requested the government to remedy the situation through compensation. 

On December 21, 2018, Lucía Pineda and Miguel Mora were detained at the 100% Noticias channel headquarters for their coverage on the protests starting in April against corruption. 100% Noticias was later confiscated and signals of the channel were suspended following a call by the Legal Directorate of the Nicaraguan Institute of Telecommunications and Post (Telcor) TO boycott the network. 

The Working Group was able to verify that the police "did not show a judicial order" to carry out the raid or arrest of Lucia and Miguel, which makes the detention unlawful according to the procedural criminal law. The resolution indicated that the journalists’ right to freedom of opinion and expression was breached along with the violation of the right to a fair trial.

During six months that Lucia and Miguel were in pretrial detention, they suffered torture including isolation. The Working Group considered the detention as violating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“This resolution sets a valuable precedent, not only in the case of Miguel Mora and Lucía Pineda but for all journalists in the Americas. It is a victory, not only for 100% Noticias; it is a victory for all independent journalism in the Americas” Lucia told during an interview with IP Nicaragua.

The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the United Nations Human Rights Council urged the Nicaraguan government to adopt the measures "without delay" and to carry out an "exhaustive and independent investigation of the circumstances surrounding the arbitrary deprivation of liberty". The government is expected to deliver the results within six months of the adoption of the resolution.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism finds the resolution crucial for the freedom of the press in Nicaragua and in the Americas as a whole. We will be following the measures and responses by the Nicaraguan government in due time.