Nicaragua Supreme Court
to Rule on Abortion Ban
in Next Two Weeks
The Supreme Court in
Nicaragua is expected to
issue a ruling on the
nation's abortion ban in
the next two weeks. The
Central American nation
adopted the complete ban
last November that
prohibits all abortions,
including those for rape
and incest or to save
the life of the mother.
Abortion advocates, led
by the New York-based
Americas for Human
Rights Watch, have taken
the law to court.
The nation's high court
is expected to deliver a
decision in the case
soon and it could result
in the undermining of
other pro-life laws in
the region.
In a statement, Human
Rights Watch claimed the
ban violates
international human
rights standards and
outs women's health at
risk. That's despite
research showing
significant medical
problems and health
effects for women who
have abortions.
“International law
prohibits bans on
abortion because such
restrictions deny women
their basic rights to
life and health,” José
Miguel Vivanco, Americas
director at HRW, said.
“Nicaragua's abortion
ban is an affront to
international standards
-- and Nicaragua's
women.”
The group released an
open letter it wrote to
Nicaragua’s Supreme
Court in which it
detailed a list of
treaties and documents
it alleges the abortion
ban violates.
HRW also claimed that it
has discovered evidence
of the ban's harmful
impact on women.
"During a research
mission to Nicaragua in
August, Human Rights
Watch documented delays
in the provision of
obstetric emergency care
in the public health
sector that resulted in
avoidable fatalities,"
the group asserts.
However, Colin Mason of
the Population Research
Institute says HRW and
other pro-abortion
groups promoted a bogus
case that was factually
incorrect and was only
meant to promote
abortion.
Should they lose in the
Nicaragua court,
abortion advocates will
head to the United
Nations Human Rights
Commission in New York
or the Inter-American
Commission on Human
Rights. The latter, an
autonomous organ of the
Organization of American
States, says the new law
is contrary to
international documents.
Both agencies have
issued previous rulings
against Mexico and Peru
in abortion cases.
Abortion advocates say
the pro-life laws are
resulting in the
maternal deaths of women
who have illegal
abortions and Ipas
estimates 30,000
Nicaraguan women have
illegal abortions
annually.
However, legalizing
abortion in
industrialized nations
hasn't made it any safer
and Susan Yoshihara of
Catholic Family and
Human Rights Institute
says she doubts the
figures are accurate.
She also said that most
any doctor is willing to
treat women following
complications from an
abortion.
The abortion ban put
Nicaragua in league with
thirty-four nations
across the globe that
prohibit all abortions. |
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