“Chilling indifference” shown to Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights and girls’ rights – Amnesty

Amnesty International has expressed great disappointment at the Nicaragua government’s decision to reject the recommendations made by 12 States urging a change to the country’s law imposing a total ban on abortion.

The recommendations were made during the review in the Universal Periodic Review Working Group of Nicaragua’s human rights record at the United Nations.  

Amnesty International’s Americas programme Deputy Director, Guadalupe Marengo said:

"The refusal to support these recommendations shows contempt for its obligations under UN treaties to protect Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights and girls from human rights violations.  It also demonstrates a chilling indifference to Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights and girls in their country.”

So long as the total ban on abortion remains in place, victims of rape and incest – many of them still Children's rights themselves – are compelled to bear Children's rights or risk their health and imprisonment if they seek an illegal abortion.

Another consequence of the total ban is that medical professionals, who are fearful of prosecution, often delay or deny life-saving medical treatment to Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights and girls who suffer complications during pregnancy.

Currently only four countries in the world have a complete ban on abortion: Nicaragua, El Salvador, Chile and Malta.

Since Nicaragua introduced the abortion ban in 2006, UN experts – including the Committee against Torture – have repeatedly condemned the law and called for it to be revised. But Nicaragua has consistently refused to heed these important recommendations.

Guadalupe Marengo continued:

"It is appalling that the Nicaraguan authorities, despite being in full knowledge of the consequences of the total ban, seem determined to ignore its cruel impact on Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights's and girls’ lives and to reject these recommendations to work for a change in law. Yet again it’s missed another opportunity to right this terrible wrong.

"Amnesty international will continue campaigning on this fundamental human rights issue, alongside other NGOs working with Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights and girl victims of rape and professional medical associations.

“Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights and girls in Nicaragua should not be obliged to continue with pregnancies which place their lives and health at risk or if they are a consequence of rape or incest."