IACHR Grants Precautionary Measures in Favor of Freddy Antonio Quezada in Nicaragua

January 2, 2024

Washington, D.C. – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued Resolution 82/2023 on December 27, 2023, to grant precautionary measures in favor of university professor and former lecturer Freddy Antonio Quezada in Nicaragua, in the belief that he faces a serious, urgent risk of suffering irreparable harm to his rights.

According to the party who requested these precautionary measures, Freddy Antonio Quezada—regarded as a critic of Nicaragua's current government—is being deprived of liberty at the Jorge Navarro National Prison Service facility, known as "La Modelo." He is allegedly being held incommunicado, without any official information concerning his state, the medical care he is getting, any medicine he may require, and his current conditions of detention, although he has several pre-existing health problems. The State did not provide any information on this matter.

After assessing the legal and factual allegations, the IACHR considers that Freddy Antonio Quezada is at risk, given that he has various health problems and is not being granted access to basic and specialized medical care. Further, insufficient information is being provided about his current conditions of detention and he allegedly has no contact with his family. Consequently, in keeping with Article 25 of its Rules of Procedure, the IACHR asked the State of Nicaragua to take the following action:

1. Adopt any measures necessary to protect the rights to life, personal integrity, and health of Freddy Antonio Quezada
2. Adopt any measures necessary to ensure that the beneficiary's conditions of detention reflect the applicable international standards and include the following actions: (i) immediately conducting a specialist medical examination of his current health condition, so he receives adequate specialized care; (ii) providing the beneficiary with the treatment and medication he needs to address his health issues; (iii) enabling regular access to and contact with his family and lawyers; and (iv) considering the option of granting him alternatives to deprivation of liberty, given that it is impossible to protect his rights in his current conditions of detention
3. Come to an agreement with the beneficiary and his representatives concerning any measures that need to be taken
4. Report on any actions adopted to investigate the alleged events that gave rise to the adoption of these precautionary measures, in order to prevent such events from happening again in the future

The fact that these precautionary measures have been granted and their adoption by the State do not entail a prejudgment on a potential petition that may be filed before the inter-American system to allege violations of rights protected by the American Convention on Human Rights and other applicable instruments.

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. 004/24

6:09 PM