NICARAGUA STRIPS LAWYERS OF LICENSES IN WIDENING CRACKDOWN

Nicaragua's government has revoked the licenses of many lawyers without notice, removing their certifications from the Supreme Court of Justice registry in what critics describe as a widening crackdown on dissent, according to the Associated Press. The move prevents affected lawyers from practicing law and from carrying out notarial work inside Nicaragua.

The Associated Press reported that the removals include lawyers living inside Nicaragua and abroad, as well as some who have criticized President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo. Affected lawyers said they discovered they had been removed from the registry only after trying to verify their status or perform professional work.

Reed Brody, a United Nations expert on Nicaragua, described the action to the Associated Press as a "purge of the legal profession." Brody said the license removals appear to be part of a broader effort to eliminate remaining independent voices within the legal system. The Associated Press reported that the government did not respond to requests for comment.

El Pais reported that hundreds of lawyers have been removed from the official judicial registry since early July, without formal notice, legal proceedings or public explanation. The report said some estimates from affected lawyers and legal sources put the number of impacted professionals above 2,000, though the Nicaraguan government has not released an official figure.

The removals affect more than courtroom representation. In Nicaragua, lawyers often also perform notarial functions needed for contracts, property records, business filings, inheritances and other civil documents. El Pais reported that being removed from the registry can immediately block lawyers from completing routine legal work for clients.

The Associated Press reported that the action fits a wider campaign by Ortega and Murillo since the government's violent suppression of protests in 2018. The government has imprisoned critics, exiled thousands, stripped opponents of citizenship and assets, and closed more than 5,000 organizations, including religious, civic and community groups.

Reuters reported previously that Nicaragua's government outlawed 1,500 civil society groups in a single 2024 action, accusing them of failing to disclose financial information. Those groups were part of a broader crackdown that has targeted civil society, private universities, media outlets, opposition parties and government critics since 2018.

The legal-profession purge raises immediate concerns about due process and access to counsel. If lawyers can be removed from practice without notice or appeal, defendants, political prisoners, businesses and ordinary citizens may face greater difficulty finding independent legal representation or completing essential civil procedures.

Fact-check date: 11 July 2026
Article type: News
Sources: Associated Press, El Pais, Reuters, Al Jazeera, United Nations expert reporting cited by AP