What changed

B100315/2026

B100317/2026

European Parliament resolution on political prisoners in Nicaragua - the cases of Carlos Brenes, Salvadora del Socorro Martínez Aburto and Brooklyn Rivera

(2026/2765(RSP))

- having regard to its previous resolutions on Nicaragua,

- having regard to RulesRule 150 of its Rules of Procedure;Procedure,

whereas former army colonel and dissident Carlos Brenes and his wife Salvadora Martinez were again arbitrarily detained on 14th August 2025 and sentenced to 15 years in prison for the alleged crime of “treason” according to an IACHR ruling; whereas their whereabouts haven’t been reliably confirmed and no family member has had contact with them since their detention, which amounts to enforced disappearance;

whereas since the widespread crackdown on protests in 2018, the Ortega-Murillo regime in Nicaragua has intensified its systematic and arbitrary persecution of human rights defenders, opposition members and religious institutions; whereas over 80 percent of NGOs have been dissolved, and over 240 religious figures have been forced into exile, deported, or barred from their return to the country;

whereas prominent Miskitu leader and former legislator Brooklyn Rivera’s relatives were informed on 30 May 2026 of his death after more than 32 months in State custody; whereas members of his family who went to claim his remains are enforcedly disappeared; whereas he was arbitrarily detained and enforcedly disappeared since his clandestine return to Nicaragua in September 2023; whereas in May 2023 he was prevented from returning to Nicaragua as a reprisal for his cooperation with the UN;

whereas on 30 May 2026 Brooklyn Rivera, long‑time representative of the indigenous Miskitu people, died in custody after almost three years imprisonment; whereas the authorities took 15 hours to confirm his death and refused to release his body to his family;

whereas the Nicaraguan regime continues with a pattern of serious allegations of torture and mistreatment of inmates in prisons; whereas since August 2025 the UN has registered three other cases of death in custody, also appearing related to poor conditions of detention and insufficient medical care;

whereas Carlos Ramón Brenes Sánchez and his wife Salvadora del Socorro Martínez Aburto were detained in August 2025 without warrants, held incommunicado for months, and later secretly sentenced to 15 years imprisonment on ‘treason’ charges; whereas at least 44 other individuals remain in arbitrary detention;

whereas in March 2026, the report of a Group of Experts on Nicaragua described repression and persecution by authorities as systematic, amounting to, prima facie, crimes against humanity;

whereas Nicaraguan authorities continue to enforce severe restrictions of religious freedom, banning services in public spaces, subjecting ceremonies to surveillance, and criminalizing all expressions of faith;

Strongly condemns the Nicaraguan regime’s widespread repression; urges the Nicaraguan regime to release all those arbitrarily detained and ensure that detention facilities fully comply with international human rights standards, including access to adequate healthcare, notifying family, and ensuring access to legal representation and to an independent justice system.

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Calls on an immediate proof of life for Mr. Brenes and Mrs. Martínez, as well as their unconditional release; is deeply concern over Mr. Brenes’ health conditions and fears that his life is in immediate and irreparable danger.

Strongly condemns the Ortega-Murillo regime’s widespread, systemic human rights violations against indigenous people, democratic opposition, civil society and its persecution of religious leaders, including through the manipulation of criminal law and the use of the justice system as a tool to criminalise the exercise of civil and political rights, as well as the freedom of religion and belief;

DeploresExpresses its grief at the death of Mr.Brooklyn Rivera and calls onextends Nicaraguanits regimecondolences to conduct a prompt, impartial and effective investigation into his deathfamily and to holdhis thosecommunity; responsiblenotes accountable;with urgesconcern the regime to release hiscircumstances familysurrounding membersRivera’s immediatelydeath while givingin themcustody; accessrequests tothe allauthorities relevantto informationconduct anda ensuringthorough, theirimpartial participationand intransparent decisionsinvestigation regardinginto histhe remainsevents includingleading theto funeralhis rites.death;

Calls on the regime to restore access of the UN Human Rights Office and other human rights mechanisms to the country, and particularly to its detention centres.

Strongly condemns the arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and secret sentencing of Carlos Ramón Brenes Sánchez and Salvadora del Socorro Martínez Aburto; calls on the Nicaraguan authorities to disclose without delay their whereabouts and health status and demands their immediate and unconditional release as well as of all imprisoned political prisoners and religious leaders, and for all legal proceedings against them to be annulled;

Reiterates its demand to trigger the democratic clause of the EU-Central America Association Agreement and to include Daniel Ortega and his inner circle in the list of EU sanctioned individuals;

Condemns the abusive detention and the lack of trial guarantees and demands that Nicaragua guarantee due process, access to legal counsel, family contact, and medical care for all detainees;

Calls for the immediate extradition of Alessio Casimirri to Italy.

Urges the restoration of the rule of law and the legal status of all organisations, full respect for human rights, including freedom of expression, religion and belief and the rights of exiled individuals, including their safe return, as essential conditions for any prospect of meaningful dialogue;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the HR/VP, the OAS, the EuroLat Parliamentary Assembly, the Central American Parliament, the Presidency Pro Tempore of CELAC, and the Nicaraguan regime.

Reiterates its call for the list of individuals and entities sanctioned by the EU to be expanded;

Deplores Nicaragua’s bond with authoritarian regimes in Havana and Caracas, as well as political, and military strategic alignment with Russia and China;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Government and Parliament of Nicaragua.