3.2 Confiscation of assets and property Among the sanctions imposed by the judiciary on 316 persons69 arbitrarily deprived of their nationality, the state ordered the “freezing and confiscation” of all real-estate assets and companies registered in their names, either in their personal capacity or as partners.70 International human rights bodies described this measure as an “arbitrary, disproportionate punishment for crimes”71 that violates the rights to enjoy an adequate standard of living and to property.72 It is also a sanction that exposes stateless people, especially older persons, and their family members who remain in Nicaragua to increased vulnerability due to the loss of rental income from their properties.73 The judicial decision of 15 February 2023 ordered confiscation against 94 persons rendered stateless.74 On 9 June 2023, it became known that an order had been issued by the First Chamber of the Managua Court of Appeals, dated 19 May, by which the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic was requested to proceed with the “confiscation” of real estate, companies and shares belonging to 222 persons who had been released from prison and exiled.75 By August 2023, at least 78 homes and other properties had been seized by the authorities.76 The confiscations were preceded by police occupation of the properties and property records were erased.77 In some cases, the confiscated property belonged to relatives of persons arbitrarily deprived of their nationality, including their children under the age of 18, who were not named in the court decisions ordering the expropriation.78 Those who live in these properties, including relatives of stateless persons, denounced the siege by the authorities, and expressed their fear of being evicted at any moment. They reported that the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic was charging them rent to stay in the houses and required them to formalise their “occupational status”.79 Confiscation measures have also included the blocking of bank accounts and the freezing of funds,80 thus preventing those arbitrarily deprived of their nationality from disposing of their savings and recovering the money deposited. In the case of Ernesto Medina Sandino, the freezing of his accounts took place in March 2023, without any formal notification. The academic asked the bank, on two occasions, to confirm whether his accounts had been frozen and since when the measure had been in place. To date, he has not received any response to his requests. 69. According to the information available, Bishop Rolando Álvarez Lagos was not subject to confiscation of assets and property. 70. O  HCHR, Human Rights Situation in Nicaragua, Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 10 August 2023, A/HRC/54/60, para. 41. 71. I ACHR, “IACHR Rejects Ongoing Repression and Human Rights Violations in Nicaragua”, 16 June 2023, available at: https:// www.oas.org/en/iachr/jsForm/?File=/en/iachr/media_center/preleases/2023/123.asp. In the same vein, see: IACHR, “Nicaragua: IACHR and REDESCA Express Concern About Violations of Property and Social Security Rights”, 14 April 2023, available at: https://www.oas.org/en/iachr/jsForm/?File=/en/iachr/media_center/preleases/2023/061.asp 72. O  HCHR, Human Rights Situation in Nicaragua, Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 10 August 2023, A/HRC/54/60, para. 43. 73. Ibid., para. 42. In the same vein, see: IACHR, “Nicaragua: IACHR and REDESCA express concern About Violations of Property and Social Security Rights”, 14 April 2023, available at: https://www.oas.org/en/iachr/jsForm/?File=/en/iachr/media_center/ preleases/2023/061.asp 74. F  IDH, “Nicaragua: Revocación arbitraria de la nacionalidad a la presidenta del CENIDH Vilma Núñez” (Nicaragua: Arbitrary deprivation of the nationality of CENIDH President Vilma Núñez), 16 February 2023, available at: https://www.fidh.org/es/ temas/defensores-de-derechos-humanos/nicaragua-revocacion-arbitraria-de-la-nacionalidad-a-la-presidenta 75. IACHR, “IACHR Rejects Ongoing Repression and Human Rights Violations in Nicaragua”, 16 June 2023, available at: https://www. oas.org/en/iachr/jsForm/?File=/en/iachr/media_center/preleases/2023/123.asp. In the same vein, see: Confidencial, “Dictatorship orders confiscation of assets of 222 banished former political prisoners”, 14 June 2023, available at: https://confidencial.digital/ english/dictatorship-orders-confiscation-of-assets-of-222-banished-former-political-prisoners/. See also, DW, “Ortega confisca propiedades a 222 expresos desterrados” (Ortega confiscates property belonging to 222 exiled prisoners), 10 June 2023, available at: https://www.dw.com/es/ortega-confisca-propiedades-a-222-expresos-pol%C3%ADticos-desterrados/a-65876899 76. O  HCHR, Human Rights Situation in Nicaragua, Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 10 August 2023, A/HRC/54/60, para. 42. 77. I ACHR, “Nicaragua: IACHR and REDESCA Express Concern About Violations of Property and Social Security Rights”, 14 April 2023, available at: https://www.oas.org/en/iachr/jsForm/?File=/en/iachr/media_center/preleases/2023/061.asp 78. O  HCHR, Human Rights Situation in Nicaragua, Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 10 August 2023, A/HRC/54/60, para. 42. 79. I ACHR, “Nicaragua: IACHR and REDESCA Express Concern About Violations of Property and Social Security Rights”, 14 April 2023, available at: https://www.oas.org/en/iachr/jsForm/?File=/en/iachr/media_center/preleases/2023/061.asp 80. O  ffice of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Communication to the State of Nicaragua, 18 September 2023, Ref: AL NIC 3/2023, p. 7. 9 FIDH - Exile and civil death