Political prisoners in Nicaragua – the cases of Carlos Brenes, Salvadora del Socorro Martínez Aburto and Brooklyn Rivera

European Parliament resolution of 18 June 2026 on political prisoners in Nicaragua – the cases of Carlos Brenes, Salvadora del Socorro Martínez Aburto and Brooklyn Rivera (2026/2765(RSP))

The European Parliament,

–having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.whereas since 2018, the Ortega-Murillo regime has dismantled democratic institutions and the rule of law, with constitutional reform abolishing political pluralism, while persecuting opponents, journalists, clergy, indigenous leaders, human-rights defenders and civil society;

B.whereas the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua concluded that violations since 2018 may constitute crimes against humanity; whereas civic space is effectively closed, with over 5 600 NGOs and 80 % of civil society organisations closed and hundreds of thousands forcibly exiled;

C.whereas human rights organisations document arbitrary arrests, incommunicado detention and enforced disappearances; whereas since August 2025 the UN has registered three deaths in custody linked to inadequate conditions and medical care;

D.whereas Carlos Brenes, detained in 2018 for civic protest and tortured, and Salvadora Martínez, were detained again in August 2025, held incommunicado and sentenced without due process to 15 years for ‘treason’; whereas Brenes has diabetes and was denied medication;

E.whereas Brooklyn Rivera, Miskitu indigenous leader and president of the dissolved Yatama party, was detained in September 2023, forcibly disappeared for over 32 months and died in custody on 30 May 2026; whereas authorities refused to release his body and relatives seeking his remains were disappeared;

1.Strongly condemns the Ortega-Murillo regime’s systematic repression, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, sham trials, exile, denationalisation, confiscation and crimes against humanity;

2.Demands the immediate, unconditional release of Brenes, Martínez and all political prisoners, the annulment of politically motivated convictions, information on their fate and whereabouts, and immediate proof of life;

3.Urges authorities to grant all detainees family and lawyer access, medical care and international monitoring, applying the Nelson Mandela Rules; calls for UN human rights mechanisms to regain access to detention centres;

4.Calls for a prompt investigation into Brooklyn Rivera’s death, the return of his remains, the release of disappeared relatives and accountability;

5.Condemns the persecution of Christian churches, indigenous peoples, civil society, opponents and their relatives; calls for the reinstatement of all arbitrarily dissolved organisations and respect for freedom of religion and belief;

6.Calls for democratic actors and civil society in Nicaragua and in exile to be supported; calls for the EU to ensure that no EU or multilateral funds strengthen the regime and to expand targeted sanctions against perpetrators, including Daniel Ortega and his inner circle;

7.Urges compliance with the IACtHR ruling; supports accountability, including through universal jurisdiction and International Criminal Court referral; recalls its position regarding Alessio Casimirri’s extradition;

8.Calls on the Council and the Commission to trigger the democratic clause and suspend application of the Association Agreement in respect of Nicaragua while repression persists; stresses that Parliament will not engage with regime representatives within the newly established Association Parliamentary Committee;

9.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the VP/HR, the Member States, the UN, the Organization of American States and the Nicaraguan authorities.