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Gabriela Morales is detained in relation to a crackdown on religious institutions.

On August 19, 2023, police detained Morales, who was a student at the Jesuit Juan Pablo II University. The government cancelled the University's legal status and confiscated its property in March 2023. Morales's detention occurred amidst a crackdown on Catholic institutions in Nicaragua, including the government's arbitrary cancellation of the Jesuit University of Central America's (UCA) legal status and seizure of its property in August 2023. Reports suggest that prior to Morales' arrest, she expressed her support for the UCA.

In October 2023, it was reported that Morales had been charged with spreading false news and undermining national integrity and had been denied access to a lawyer in the first two legal proceedings of her trial. It was subsequently reported that Morales had also been charged with possession of marijuana. 

In November 2023, Morales was found guilty of drug trafficking and not guilty of spreading false news and undermining national integrity.

Related case: Adela Elizabeth Espinoza Tercero

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Adela Tercero is detained in relation to a crackdown on religious institutions.

On August 19, 2023, police detained Tercero, who was a student leader at the Jesuit Central American University (UCA) in Managua. Tercero's detention occurred amidst a crackdown on Catholic institutions in Nicaragua, including the government arbitrarily cancelling UCA's legal status and confiscating its property. 

In October 2023, it was reported that Tercero had been charged with spreading false news and undermining national integrity and had been denied access to a lawyer in the first two legal proceedings of her trial. It was subsequently reported that Tercero had also been charged with possession of marijuana.

In November 2023, Tercero was found guilty of drug trafficking and not guilty of spreading false news and undermining national integrity.

Related case: Gabriela Morales

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Mohammed al-Ghamdi is imprisoned and sentenced to death for expressing support for religious prisoners of conscience. 

On June 11, 2022, security forces in Mecca arrested al-Ghamdi outside his home. He was subsequently placed him in solitary confinement for four months in al-Dhahban Prison near Jeddah and was prohibited from contacting his family and accessing a lawyer.  

On July 10, 2023, the Specialized Criminal Court sentenced al-Ghamdi to death for “describing the King or the Crown Prince in a way that undermines religion or justice" (Art. 30 Counterterrorism Law), "supporting a terrorist ideology" (Art. 34 Counterterrorism Law), “communication with a terrorist entity” (Art. 43 Counterterrorism Law), and publishing false news “with the intention of executing a terrorist crime” (Art. 44 Counterterrorism Law). According to his trial judgement, al-Ghamdi had been accused of criticizing the government and calling for the release of imprisoned religious prisoners of conscience such as Salman al-Ouda and Ali al-Omari on Twitter, despite having less than 10 followers. Al-Ghamdi's brother, Saeed al-Ghamdi, is a religious scholar and a well-known dissident who received asylum in the United Kingdom following Saudi Arabia's 2017 crackdown on scholars, intellectuals, and activists. Saeed al-Ghamdi is also head of the SANAD Rights Foundation, which documents human rights abuses, including against religious prisoners of conscience, in Saudi Arabia and has argued Mohammed al-Ghamdi's sentencing is an attempt to stop his work.

On September 15, 2023, several UN experts called for al-Ghamdi's release.

Al-Ghamdi's health has reportedly deteriorated since his arrest. Authorities have reportedly refused to give him some of his prescription medications meant to treat his mental health issues.

Related Cases: Salman al-Ouda, Ali al-Omari