WHEREAS the country is undergoing a virtual state of siege in which are prohibited public demonstrations that are not those controlled by the government and independent journalists are the target of attacks and other aggressions on the part of the "Ortegaist police" and of violent groups organized by the governing party
WHEREAS despite the return of the income of the newspaper La Prensa following a 500-day embargo other media critical of the government such as Confidencial and 100% Noticias still have not recovered the equipments that were confiscated from them a year ago after the raid on and closure of their offices
WHEREAS while the press freedom of the independent media is being restricted the governing family has increased its control over the official information which is only disseminated through its news media
WHEREAS the government of Nicaragua ignores and rejects the numerous calls of the principal international bodies for it to respect human rights and democratic principles and on the contrary persists in resorting to repression
WHEREAS but for a few exceptions requests for access to public information are ignored by the government entities that receive them, in constant violation of the law in effect
WHEREAS Article 1 of the Declaration of Chapultepec establishes "No people or society can be free without freedom of expression and of the press" whille its Article 3 ratifies the public's right to access information from different sectors of the government, and its Article 4 calls for prompt investigation and "harsh punishment" of all acts of violence against journalists.
The IAPA Midyear Meeting resolves
to demand of the President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, that he cease repression of journalists and the manifestations of the opposition and stop ignoring the calls of principal supranational organisms in favor of respect for human rights and the basic principles of democracy.
