Nicaragua's communist dictator Daniel Ortega is preparing to amend the country's criminal code to give him greater powers to seize the assets of dissidents, including those abroad, and impose life sentences on them.
Ortega Presented Nicaragua's Congress passed the reforms on Thursday, a mere formality as the parliament is made up entirely of pro-government lawmakers, and local media reports that the reforms are expected to be approved as early as Tuesday, September 3.
The bill amends 27 articles of the Nicaraguan Penal Code. One of the main changes, local newspapers reported, is: Confidentiality As explained, the amendments introduce a “principle of universality,” meaning that Nicaragua's criminal code will apply to Nicaraguans and foreigners who commit crimes outside Nicaragua, such as money laundering and terrorism.
Confidentiality They noted that Ortega's government has in the past used criminal charges such as terrorism and money laundering to persecute and imprison dissidents, and has seized the assets of about 5,500 non-governmental organizations in the country on similar charges.
The proposed changes would reportedly introduce prison sentences of 10 to 15 years for anyone calling for international sanctions against the Ortega regime, its companies, or its officials. The proposal, which will soon be approved, would increase prison sentences for what the Ortega regime defines as “treason” to up to 30 years. Additionally, Ortega's proposed changes to anti-government crimes would allow the communist regime to prosecute dissidents in absentia.
Felix Maradiaga, Nicaraguan opposition politician Confidentiality He called it a “dangerous escalation” in the Ortega administration's repressive strategy.
“This change aims not only to expand the regime's ability to persecute opponents inside Nicaragua, but also to extend its influence beyond the borders and become a weapon of transnational repression,” Maradiaga said.
“No longer content with jailing and exiling the most offensive dissidents, President Ortega is now seeking to confiscate the assets of exiles and expand his ability to silence dissent anywhere in the world,” he continued.
Former Nicaraguan Congressman Eliseo Nunez pointed Nicaraguan newspapers 100% News The new changes mean that anyone suspected of money laundering, from dissidents to low-level managers of non-governmental organisations, could be sentenced to life in prison.
“They've included in the bill the issue of money laundering and life imprisonment, which was not in the Criminal Code,” Nuñez said. “Let's not forget that a recent constitutional amendment said that life imprisonment is only applicable for violent crimes and the like, and now they're including it in the issue of money laundering. This is a serious issue.”
Nunez stressed that most of Ortega's opposition and non-governmental organizations have been accused of “money laundering” by the communist regime and believes the change will increase the criminalization of the dictator's opponents.
“Financial relations with foreign agents have already been criminalized under the Foreign Agents Act, and penalties that previously only applied to violent crimes and other crimes now apply to money laundering as well,” Nunez stressed.
The former lawmaker said he would not rule out the possibility that Ortega's government would apply the new law against its own citizens.
“They are now waging a holy war against themselves, which means they are also trying to use it against their own people, in a country where even if you declare yourself an Ortega supporter or a Rosario follower, [Murillo, Ortega’s wife and vice president]”Nobody is safe,” Nunez said, “so this is made for those who remain there, but mainly for the very few NGOs that are still active.”
“The Nicaraguan government is trying to stop the spread of the virus,” said Yonalki Martinez, a Nicaraguan lawyer and human rights activist. 100% News This change will allow for the implementation of absentee trials for dissidents. It would violate the right to due process and make it easier to confiscate dissidents' property without a final adjudication.
“What's new is trying people abroad and what evidence the prosecutor's office will legalize and have standing. If they allegedly committed a crime abroad, that will be valid evidence in court,” Martinez said.
The lawyer said the reform would “simplify and perfect” the violation of Nicaraguans' property rights.
“In fact, they have taken away people's property without bringing them to justice, because many people have been imprisoned, exiled, [their property] “It used to just be confiscated, and now there's no clear sentence,” Martinez said.
Since a wave of anti-communist protests in 2018 that brought thousands to the streets demanding an end to Ortega's decades-long dictatorship in Nicaragua, President Ortega has significantly stepped up his crackdown on dissent.
Ortega has exiled dozens of dissidents in recent years. Seize their assets and Stripping They were stripped of their Nicaraguan citizenship and rendered stateless in clear violation of international treaties. Law.
Ortega also said that he was brutal. persecution President Ortega launched a campaign against Nicaragua's Catholic Church as punishment for its leaders' support of anti-Communist protests in 2018. President Ortega's persecution of the Catholic Church in the country has resulted in the expulsion of several members of the Church, the unjust imprisonment of priests, the banning of most Catholic processions and traditional celebrations, and the forcible closure and seizure of the country's Catholic media and universities.
Most notably, the repression and suppression of dissent by communist dictators. Russiahas supported Ortega.RetrainingStrengthening Nicaraguan police's repressive capabilities and Russian-run Spy Center in a Central American country.
Christian K. Caruso is a Venezuelan author documenting life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter. here
