Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Nicaraguan counterpart on reports of the removal of five opposition mayors in that country.
We have voiced the UK's deep concern about the ongoing deterioration of political and human rights in Nicaragua and the subversion of democratic processes, with Nicaraguan authorities in London, in Managua and at multilateral fora. We have issued statements condemning the repression, and imposed sanctions against members of the Nicaraguan regime responsible for human rights abuses, in coordination with partners. We encouraged members of the UN Human Rights Council to vote in favour of a resolution on 31 March 2022 to establish a Group of Experts on Human Rights with a mandate to seek accountability for human rights violations in Nicaragua. We will continue to raise our concerns, including on the expulsion of the five opposition mayors, and urge the Nicaraguan Government to end its repression against its citizens.