IACHR requests IA Court expand provisional measures for three individuals deprived of freedom in Nicaragua

September 22, 2025

Washington, DC—On September 18, 2025, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) requested that the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IA Court) expand provisional measures in the case of Juan Sebastián Chamorro and others, concerning Nicaragua. The request seeks to protect Douglas Gamaliel Pérez Centeno, Aníbal Martín Rivas Reed, and Mario José Rodríguez Serrano, who face an extremely serious and urgent situation that poses a risk of irreparable harm to their rights.

The IACHR granted precautionary measures to the three individuals in question after determining that the requirements of seriousness, urgency, and irreparability had been met. Despite efforts to obtain information from the State of Nicaragua, the IACHR has received no response indicating that appropriate and effective measures have been adopted to mitigate this risk, nor has it been informed of any consultation processes or steps taken to investigate the reported events.

Douglas Gamaliel Pérez Centeno, Aníbal Martín Rivas Reed, and Mario José Rodríguez Serrano were detained in 2024 and 2025 in a context marked by the criminalization of individuals identified or perceived as dissidents or opponents of the current government, when various members of civil society were seeking to participate in public, social, political, or religious life in Nicaragua.

At the time this request was submitted, the whereabouts of Douglas Gamaliel Pérez Centeno and Mario José Rodríguez Serrano had been unknown since their detention. Aníbal Martín Rivas Reed is being held in solitary confinement at La Modelo prison, with restrictions on visits from close family members. Before this, his whereabouts had been unknown for more than 30 days, and there are allegations that he is not receiving adequate medical care for his physical and mental health.

The IACHR stresses that this request is a response to an exceptional situation involving an extreme, urgent, and irreparable threat to the rights of these three individuals. This risk must be assessed in light of the broader human rights context in Nicaragua, which has been subject to ongoing scrutiny by the Organization of American States, the IACHR, and other human rights bodies.

Based on these findings, and in accordance with article 63.2 of the American Convention on Human Rights and article 27 of the IA Court’s Rules of Procedure, the IACHR has requested the IA Court to order the State of Nicaragua to:

1. immediately adopt the necessary measures to protect the life, personal integrity, health, and personal liberty of (1) Douglas Gamaliel Pérez Centeno; (2) Aníbal Martín Rivas Reed; and (3) Mario José Rodríguez Serrano;
2. formally disclose the whereabouts or place of detention of Douglas Gamaliel Pérez Centeno and Mario José Rodríguez Serrano;
3. in line with the Inter-American Court’s previous decisions, proceed with the immediate release of the identified individuals deprived of their freedom in Nicaragua, in light of the serious and inhuman conditions of detention to which they are subjected.

Provisional measures are issued by the IA Court in cases of extreme gravity and urgency to prevent irreparable harm to individuals. These measures are binding and compel States to take specific steps to safeguard rights and/or protect the lives of persons at risk.

The IACHR is a principal and autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), whose mandate stems from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has the mandate to promote the observance and defense of human rights in the region and acts as an advisory body to the OAS on the matter. The IACHR is made up of seven independent members who are elected by the OAS General Assembly in their personal capacity, and do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 191/25

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