Center Advocates Reversal of Nicaraguan Abortion Ban

On May 17, The Center for Reproductive Rights and Yale University’s Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic submitted a joint friend-of-the-court brief to the Supreme Court of Nicaragua. Filed in support of local groups challenging the country’s complete ban on abortion, the Center’s brief provides a comparative legal perspective. This past October, Nicaragua’s congress banned abortion on all grounds, eliminating the only exception under the previous law for women whose lives were at risk.

In May, Lilian Sepúlveda, Legal Adviser for Latin America and the Caribbean, traveled to Nicaragua to meet with local partners and take part in advocacy efforts to inform the public about the human rights implications of Nicaragua’s new abortion law. Her visit, which attracted national press attention, also included a presentation at a forum organized by the Polytechnic University of Nicaragua and the Nicaraguan Feminist Movement.

The Center awaits the decision by the Supreme Court, and will continue its efforts to reverse this dangerous law.

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