Nicaragua strips lawyers of certification in crackdown on dissent

Nicaragua's government has removed the licences of a large number of lawyers from the official registry, in a move critics say is the latest step in a widening crackdown on dissent. Lawyers in the country noticed in recent days that their authorisations to practise had disappeared from the Supreme Court of Justice registry without explanation. The action has drawn criticism from a United Nations expert, who described it as a purge of the legal profession.

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According to Reed Brody, an American human rights lawyer and member of a UN panel of experts on Nicaragua, there was no official notification from the government. He said the full scale of the revocations was not immediately clear, but it appeared to affect at least hundreds, and possibly thousands, of lawyers. Brody said he knew of at least 20 lawyers who had been affected, while other lawyers also confirmed that their certifications had been revoked.

The government did not respond to a request for comment. The move has added to concerns about the shrinking space for independent institutions in Nicaragua. Since mass social protests in 2018, the government of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo has intensified its response to critics, imprisoning opponents, religious leaders and journalists, and forcing thousands to leave the country.

It has also stripped hundreds of people of their citizenship and possessions, and shut down more than 5,000 non-governmental organisations, including religious groups and local civic associations. Critics say the latest action against lawyers targets one of the few remaining professions that can still provide a check on state power. The legal profession has become a particular focus because lawyers can represent detainees, challenge state decisions and document abuses.

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Brody said the pattern fits earlier moves against universities, independent media, churches and civil society groups. Juan Diego Barberena, a lawyer and human rights defender living in exile in Costa Rica since 2022, was among those whose certification was removed, and he said he knew of at least 25 more colleagues in the same position. The reported removals therefore carry significance beyond the profession itself, because they may further limit access to legal defence and oversight.

The government has not explained the basis for the removals, and it remains unclear how many lawyers have been affected in total. It is also not known whether the certifications can be restored or whether further names will be removed from the registry. What happens next will be watched closely by rights groups and legal advocates, particularly if the measure is extended or followed by additional restrictions on professional bodies.

The episode adds to a broader pattern of state pressure that has already reshaped Nicaragua's political and civic landscape.

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