IACHR Grants Precautionary Protection Measures in Favor of Olman Onel Salazar Umanzor and His Immediate Family in Nicaragua

February 4, 2021

Washington, D.C.- On Feburary 4, 2021, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued Resolution 11/2021, granting precautionary protection measures in favor of Olman Onel Salazar Umanzor and his nuclear family, in Nicaragua, whom it deems to be at serious, urgent risk of suffering irreparable harm to their human rights.

The IACHR ascertained that Mr. Salazar is a social leader in his community and within the environmental movement in Nicaragua. The IACHR assessed various ongoing acts of aggression, threats, discrediting, intimidation, monitoring, and harassment that Mr. Salazar has experienced over time, particularly following the events of April 2018. It deemed these to be particularly serious in view of the the fact that several were allegedly committed by police officers. It also requested information from the State, in accordance with Article 25.5.5 of its Rules of Procedure, but has not received a response.

Consequently,the IACHR requested that the state of Nicaragua a) take the necessary measures to guarantee the right to life and personal integrity of Olman Onel Salazar Umanzor and his immediate family. In particular, the state must guarantee that the beneficiaries' rights are protected in accordance with the standards set out in international human rights law in terms of both the actions of its agents and any risk associated with the actions of third parties; b) determine the measures to be implemented in consultation with the beneficiaries and their representatives; c) report on the actions it has taken to investigate the alleged events that led to the adoption of this precautionary measure and thus prevent them from being repeated.

The fact that this precautionary measure has been granted and its adoption by the state does not entail a prejudgment on any petition that may be filed before the inter-American system to allege that the rights protected by the American Convention and other applicable instruments have been violated.

A principal, autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), the IACHR derives its mandate from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has a mandate to promote respect for and to defend human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this area. The Commission is composed of seven independent members who are elected in an individual capacity by the OAS General Assembly and who do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 022/21