As the government tightens its repression on religious activity, Protestant and Roman Catholic churches all over Nicaragua faced heavy curtailments during the Easter weekend celebrations this year, a Christian human rights group has said.
The overlap of Good Friday with the anniversary of anti-government protests in 2018 added to an already volatile atmosphere, as that protest sparked a long-running repression of civil society.
Last week, as Christians around the world celebrated Easter, public religious events, including traditional processions, were banned in Nicaragua.
Nicaraguan news outlet, Despacho 505, reported that religious leaders were threatened not to mention prisoners and exiles in their prayers, hold outdoor activities, or light fireworks.
The warnings were firmly enforced on Good Friday with 24 riot police officers being deployed in three vehicles around Santiago Apostol Cathedral in Boaco Municipality as the church commemorated the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross), which is the observance of Jesus’ path to the cross.
A similar incident occurred in Juigalpa Municipality, where four police and six riot officers were stationed outside the Nuestra Señora de la Asunción Cathedral.
At least five officers also stood guard outside a Protestant Evangelical church in Rio San Juan Department on Easter Sunday.
On the same day, the government deployed 11 police officers to the entrance of another major church – the Nuestra Señora del Rosario Cathedral in Bluefields.
These incidents reflect a broader surge in violations of religious freedom in Nicaragua, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), which has recorded 107 violations of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) between January and April 2025 - nearly half of the total violations reported in all of 2024. Most of these cases involve harassment or threats.
Thirteen included arbitrary detention, with nine individuals placed under so-called “precautionary measures” - a system of surveillance and movement restrictions that subjects religious leaders to weekly police check-ins, including submitting plans for their ministry activities.
Several religious leaders have also disclosed that plain-clothed intelligence agents are frequently seen monitoring sermons and reviewing church social media accounts.
“The presence of riot police and National Police officers during peaceful Easter celebrations is both excessive and unwarranted,” said Scot Bower, the CEO of CSW.
“It is unconscionable that religious leaders and their communities simply wishing to peacefully practice their faith continue to be targeted relentlessly by a regime set on silencing its critics.”
Bower urged the international community to explore ways to hold the Nicaraguan government accountable, particularly in light of the country’s February withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council and all associated mechanisms.
That withdrawal came just one day after a damning UN report accused the Nicaraguan administration of crimes against humanity since April 2018.
