Praying for Peace and Justice on April 6, 2025
Let us pray:
Holy One,
We lift up the people of Nicaragua—those who have suffered torture, persecution, and exile. We pray for the healing of trauma experienced by all victims and their families.
We pray for justice and reparations, and that those responsible for these crimes be held accountable, so that such violations never happen again.
We also pray for the torturers, and for those who gave the orders. May their hearts be pierced with remorse, and may they repent.
Protect the hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans now in exile, many of them here in the United States.
Grant them safety, dignity, and a future filled with hope.
In your name, Amen.
Background
There is an independent body established by the United Nations Human Rights Council called the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua (GHREN). Its mandate is to investigate all alleged human rights violations and abuses committed in Nicaragua since April 2018—exactly seven years ago—when popular protests against the government of Daniel Ortega erupted.
Just three days ago (April 3, 2025), this UN group issued a new report. Its main findings include:
• Since April 2018, the Government of Nicaragua—under President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo—has carried out a systematic campaign of repression against individuals and groups perceived as political opponents.
• There are reasonable grounds to believe that these violations include crimes against humanity, such as murder, imprisonment, torture (including sexual violence), deportation, and persecution.
• The government executed well-coordinated campaigns of arbitrary detention, unfair trials, and enforced disappearances, all under centralized control from the Presidency.
• Other grave violations documented include: Arbitrary revocation of nationality and denial of re-entry for critics; Confiscation of property • Widespread surveillance and harassment and much more.
Now, Nicaraguans have long been aware of these abuses through their lived experiences. The significance of this UN report lies in its rigorous, independent investigation that confirms and documents these violations, providing the international community with credible evidence to support calls for justice and accountability.
The Colectivo de Derechos Humanos Nicaragua Nunca Más, an organization that we as Seekers support through our International Giving, also released a detailed report documenting 229 cases of torture since 2018. These include more than 40 methods such as beatings, asphyxiation, electric shocks, burns, simulated executions, and the removal of fingernails and teeth. The victims include 46 women and 183 men.
Victims continue to suffer the consequences: Psychological and Physical Trauma – Many live with PTSD, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and chronic pain or disability.
And the victims face a justice system controlled by the Ortega regime, with no domestic path to accountability.