Nicaragua’s National Assembly has approved a controversial law imposing prison sentences on individuals who post content on social media that incites “alarm” among the public, a move critics have labeled as a severe restriction on free speech. The law, passed on Wednesday, targets those who, both inside and outside the country, share social media posts that allegedly provoke “alarm, fear, panic, or distress” among the population, with penalties ranging from three to five years in prison and hefty fines. The opposition, particularly media in exile, has condemned the legislation as a “gag law.”
If the posts are deemed to promote discrimination, hatred, or violence, or threaten Nicaragua’s “economic and social stability” or public order, prison sentences increase to five to ten years. This new regulation builds on the 2020 cybercrime law, which led to the arrests and prosecutions of numerous opposition figures and journalists for “spreading false news.”
Legal experts and exiled opposition members warn that this new law grants the Ortega government sweeping control over social media platforms. Salvador Marenco, a Nicaraguan lawyer now living in Costa Rica, stated that the law is part of a broader effort to quash dissent. “Social media has been a crucial tool for exposing severe human rights abuses in Nicaragua,” Marenco said. He also emphasized that the law extends Ortega’s “transnational repression” policies, restricting Nicaraguans both within and beyond the country’s borders.
Nicaragua’s parliament, which is dominated by the government of President Daniel Ortega, insists that the law will enhance efforts to combat crimes committed via digital platforms. In a statement, parliament said the law would “strengthen the prevention, confrontation, investigation, and prosecution of crimes” conducted through online systems, modern technology, and social media.
The Ortega administration has steadily increased its repression since widespread opposition protests in 2018, which were met with a brutal crackdown. According to the UN, more than 300 people were killed during three months of unrest. Since then, approximately 5,500 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been shut down, and their assets seized by the state. The government has also forced thousands of Nicaraguans into exile, while hundreds have been expelled and stripped of their assets.
Last week, a new reform to the penal code was introduced, allowing for sentences of up to 30 years in prison and asset confiscation for anyone convicted of committing “crimes against the Nicaraguan State,” regardless of where the offenses took place. This development coincides with the Ortega government’s decision to revoke the nationality of 135 political prisoners recently deported to Guatemala with U.S. mediation. In total, 451 opposition members have lost their nationality this year alone, according to official reports.
The United Nations Human Rights Council took up the issue of Nicaragua’s escalating repression in Geneva on Tuesday. Christian Salazar Volkmann, head of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, presented a report that heavily criticized the country’s recent legislative changes, expressing concern that the new laws could lead to further repression, particularly targeting Nicaraguans in exile.
The newly passed law will come into effect once it is published in the official government gazette, La Gaceta. Many experts and opposition leaders have compared Nicaragua’s legislative actions to those of authoritarian regimes allied with Ortega, such as Russia and China.
In an interview with AFP, former Nicaraguan presidential candidate Félix Maradiaga, now in exile in the United States, drew parallels between Nicaragua’s new cybercrime law and the censorship tactics employed by Ortega’s allies. “Ortega is using the same playbook of these regimes, aiming to criminalize any criticism that threatens his power,” Maradiaga said. He further asserted that this law cements Ortega’s status among the world’s autocratic leaders who use legal frameworks to silence dissent.
By passing this law, critics argue, the Ortega administration is deepening its authoritarian grip over Nicaragua, curbing the rights of its citizens to express themselves freely on social media. As opposition voices continue to be stifled both inside and outside the country, concerns grow over the future of free speech and human rights in the embattled nation.