Thelma Montenegro: Human rights groups seek urgent protection for missing Nicaraguan activist

Human rights organizations, including the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) and the Nicaragua Nunca Más Human Rights Collective, have requested urgent protection measures from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) for Thelma Montenegro.

Montenegro, a 54-year-old member of the Association of Mothers of April (AMA), has been reported missing following her detention by Nicaraguan authorities on August 25. Advocates allege she is being held in arbitrary detention and is a victim of forced disappearance.

Montenegro has a history of publicly denouncing crimes committed against her family during the 2018 repression. Four of her relatives were killed during that period, and organizations link her current capture to her ongoing advocacy for justice regarding those unresolved crimes. There are also concerns regarding her health, as she reportedly requires daily medication and constant medical monitoring.