exercise the legal profession, as a consequence of the withdrawal of Nicaraguan nationality.89 In two rulings issued on 11 May, the Supreme Court of Justice ordered the definitive suspension of their professional practice and the cancellation of their academic qualifications. It also required them to hand over, within 24 hours, the diplomas, seals and licenses that accredited them as lawyers and notaries public, as well as the protocols and books in their custody for their professional practice.90 The Supreme Court of Justice imposed this sanction in violation of the due process rights of those affected, as it did not hold a prior proceeding allowing them to be heard and to avail themselves of all the means for their defence. In addition, it used deprivation of nationality as an argument to dismiss the cause of action of the legal claims requesting review of the sanctions and protection against their effects. One of those disqualified from practising law attempted to file a writ of amparo (appeal for protection) against the decision of the Supreme Court of Justice. On five occasions,91 the Office for the Reception of Cases and Writs of the Central Judicial Complex of Managua refused to receive the application. On 25 May, the person concerned was finally able to file the writ, alleging violations of the rights to due process and the principle of legality. The day following receipt of the application, Henry Antonio Morales Olivares, judge of the First Civil Chamber of the Managua Court of Appeals, ruled that the writ of amparo was “inadmissible” on the grounds that the person had been declared a “traitor to the homeland” and sentenced to the loss of Nicaraguan nationality and their rights as a citizen. In light of this dismissal, on 31 May 2023, the person concerned requested to the First Civil Chamber of the Court of Appeal for certification of the main items in the file of the writ of amparo. Access to this documentation is a requirement to be able to appeal the decision due to its unlawfulness. On 7 June, the First Civil Chamber of the Court of Appeal rejected the request, declaring it “out of time”, despite the fact that it had been submitted within the time limit set by law. This case demonstrates that the suppression of the rights of persons rendered stateless also includes the undue restriction of their right to access to justice. Those concerned have no effective remedy to challenge the arbitrary deprivation of their nationality and the decisions aggravating its effects, nor do they have access to effective means of redress to enable them to have their nationality restored and end their stateless status.92 The way in which the judiciary arbitrarily deprived 317 individuals of their Nicaraguan nationality, and issued decisions that maintained and aggravated the effects of an illegitimate measure that is contrary to international human rights law, demonstrates that individuals have no effective access to impartial and independent justice and that the judicial system has been co-opted by the Ortega-Murillo regime. On this point, the IACHR recently stated that “the lack of independence of the justice administration system has facilitated the use and manipulation of criminal law to criminalise and prosecute those who criticise or oppose the government”.93 In conclusion, those arbitrarily deprived of their nationality find themselves in a situation of manifest lack of protection, given that there are no effective, impartial and independent domestic legal means of redress and reparation for the violations of their human rights. Claims to assert their rights, besides being unsuccessful, also exacerbate their situation of vulnerability, since it makes them more visible to 89. A  ccording to the National Council of Judicial Administration and Careers, “In accordance with the Nicaraguan legal system and regulations governing the profession of lawyer and notary public, these individuals cannot hold the title or exercise the profession of lawyer and notary public, as they have lost the right to exercise this profession, by virtue of having lost their Nicaraguan nationality. Supreme Court of Justice. National Council for Judicial Administration and Careers. Resolution of May 11, 2023. p. 2. 90. Ibid. 91. The Office for the Reception of Cases and Writs of the Central Judicial Complex of Managua refused to receive the application for amparo on 18, 19, 22, 23 and 24 May 2023. 92. International human rights law recognises the right of persons arbitrarily deprived of their nationality to have access to a remedy to enable them to have their nationality restored. In this regard, the Human Rights Council, in its Resolutions 7/10 and 10/13, urged States to ensure that persons deprived of their nationality have access to effective remedies, including restoration of nationality. For more information, see UNHCR, Guidelines on statelessness No. 5: Loss and Deprivation of Nationality under Articles 5-9 of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, Distr. GENERAL HCR/GS/20/05 May 2020, paras 106-107. 93. I ACHR, Closure of civic space in Nicaragua, 23 September 2023, para. 62. 11 FIDH - Exile and civil death