Nicaraguan dictator Daniel Ortega has proposed a reform to the country’s Criminal Procedure Code that would greatly expand the powers of its National Police, which is used to crack down on opponents, allowing it to conduct electronic surveillance and freeze bank accounts without the need for a court order.
The measure, which has already been sent to the National Assembly, the sham parliament controlled by the Sandinistas, is another step by Ortega to deepen his authoritarian regime, which seeks annually to increase state control over Nicaraguan citizens and institutions.
According to information from the EFE Agency, the proposal, which modifies eight articles of the current Code of Criminal Procedure, authorizes the police to carry out a series of actions without the need for prior judicial approval, such as accessing information on telephone calls, text and voice messages, as well as geolocation data.
The regime’s police will also be able to demand that telephone companies hand over user information, such as the identity of line holders and technical details of the devices used, including the subscriber identity module number and internet protocol addresses.
These measures, according to the proposal, will be taken in cases considered “urgent” and the police will have three working days to “validate” their actions in court, which is also controlled by Sandinismo.
In addition to the aforementioned measures, Ortega’s reform, which will likely be approved – given that the dictator has strong control over Parliament – also foresees that National Police authorities will have the power to carry out searches and seizures, directly accessing information stored in electronic systems and computer devices, without the need for prior authorization.
Ortega says the reforms are intended to “prevent crimes and ensure a rapid and effective response to crime, both domestic and transnational.” However, opponents and human rights organizations say the measure will increase the regime’s already intense control over people’s private lives, as the police, led by Francisco Díaz, who is Ortega’s father-in-law, will be able to carry out these new functions without informing those under investigation.
Freezing of bank accounts without judicial authorization
Ortega’s reform also grants the police the power to request financial information from public and private institutions, allowing them to freeze bank accounts, seize assets and documents, and interrupt financial transactions. All of this without prior notice to the person under investigation, under the pretext of preventing funds from being “hidden or transferred” before the investigation is concluded.
Furthermore, the text of the proposal establishes that anyone with access to this information will be “obliged to maintain absolute confidentiality”, with severe penalties for public servants who violate this rule.
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