would be subject to close surveillance and would have to “refrain from intervening in domestic political affairs or matters”, as stated in Article 12, thereby restricting their civil and political rights, and allowing them to be persecuted, harassed, and criminally prosecuted; whereas this law will effectively disqualify the main opposition figures from running in next year’s elections, further distorting the political system in Nicaragua; C. Whereas the “Foreign Agents Law”, if approved, would impose unacceptable restrictions on the rights to freedom of association, of expression, and religious freedom - as churches are also targeted-, and would be used as an instrument of repression against citizens and human rights organizations that receive financial support from international cooperation, and could result in confiscation or taking of property, and prison terms of up to 15 years if they fail to comply with registration requirements; D. Whereas this law, if adopted, would violate a series of rights and fundamental freedoms and result in the totalitarian control of all layers of society, infringing upon rights protected by the Nicaraguan Constitution, among others, political rights (Article 47); the right to presumption of innocence (Article 34); the right to equal protection under law (Article 27); the right to freedom of association (Article 49); right to access to international cooperation (Article 5); and the right to freedom of expression (Article 66); all of which, moreover, are recognised in the international agreements, covenants, and treaties to which Nicaragua is a party; E. Whereas this law also targets individuals receiving payment from abroad which contribute positively to the Nicaraguan economy, and their suppression would deal a blow to an already fragile economy; F. Whereas several members of the ruling party of the National Assembly have also presented a Special Law on Cybercrime that seeks to censor digital media, as well as a new legislation on hate crimes that would reform the criminal code as to permit the imposition of life imprisonment for political dissent, without any clear definition of the conduct subject to such harsh sentences, and which could be used to punish those who raise their voices against the government’s repressive policies; G. Whereas civil society figures, journalists, members of the political opposition, former political prisoners, and their respective families, all continue to be targeted with arrests, criminal prosecution, excessive force, warrantless raids of their homes, police harassment, sexual assault, death threats, vandalism, public slander, and online smear campaigns; H. Whereas as stated by the UN High Commissioner for Human rights Michelle Bachelet “there has been no progress in the human rights situation and no sign that the Government is constructively addressing the tensions and structural problems that triggered the socio-political crisis in April 2018”; 1. Condemns the attempts to adopt the unconstitutional “Law for Regulation of Foreign Agents” and calls on Nicaragua’s National Assembly to reject it, as well as any other law that would limit fundamental freedoms of the Nicaraguan people; stresses that, if approved, the law will provide the Ortega government with a new repressive tool for silencing not only its critics, but any individual organisation which is recipient of

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