Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for political and religious freedom in Nicaragua of (1) the decision of the government of Nicaragua to suspend diplomatic relations with the Holy See, and (2) the sentencing of Bishop Alvarez of Matagalpa to 26 years in prison, following his refusal to be exiled.

The ongoing deterioration of political and human rights in Nicaragua is deeply disturbing. In March, the report by the UN Human Rights Council's Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua (GHREN) condemned the restrictions on civil space and radical repression against political opponents, clergy, independent media, and human rights defenders. The UK's Human Rights Ambassador, Rita French, delivered two UK statements on Nicaragua, decrying the climate of repression, intimidation, and harassment, and expressed UK support for the recommendations of the GHREN report. We will continue to raise our concerns about political and human rights in Nicaragua, including on the imprisonment of Bishop Alvarez and all political prisoners, and urge the Nicaraguan Government to respect the human rights of all Nicaraguans.