"Nicaragua's release of journalist Víctor Ticay brings us relief, but he should have never been imprisoned, as he was simply doing his job as a journalist" - CPJ
This statement was originally published on cpj.org on 6 September 2024.
Nicaraguan authorities deported 135 political prisoners to Guatemala on Thursday, September 5, including journalist Víctor Ticay.
“Nicaragua’s release of journalist Víctor Ticay brings us relief, but he should have never been imprisoned, as he was simply doing his job as a journalist,” said Cristina Zahar, CPJ’s Latin America program coordinator, in São Paulo. “Nicaragua must stop persecuting journalists and their families for their reporting and allow the media to operate without the constant threat of detention or exile.”
Authorities arrested Ticay, a reporter for privately owned TV broadcaster Canal 10, after he livestreamed a Catholic Easter celebration on April 6, 2023, after the government banned public expressions of religion. He was sentenced to eight years in prison in August 2023 on charges of conspiracy to undermine national integrity and disseminating false news.
Editor’s note: This alert has been updated to remove previous mentions of journalist Fabiola Tercero, whose whereabouts are still unknown after police raided her home on July 12, 2014, according to news reports.
