Human Rights Advocates In Nicaragua Call On Supreme Court To Declare Country's Abortion Ban Unconstitutional

Some human rights advocates in Nicaragua on Monday called on the Supreme Court to declare the country's abortion ban unconstitutional, Reuters AlertNet reports (Reuters AlertNet, 1/9). Nicaragua's Asamblea Nacional, the national Legislature, in October 2006 voted 52-0 with nine abstentions and 29 not present to pass a bill that bans abortion in all cases, and President Enrique Bolanos in November 2006 signed the measure into law. According to the law, women convicted of having an illegal abortion and those convicted of assisting them receive mandatory six-year prison sentences. The law eliminates exceptions to the country's abortion ban that allow the procedure in the case of rape or when three physicians certify a woman's health is at risk. The Center for Constitutional Rights in Nicaragua had said it planned to file appeals to the Nicaraguan human rights council and the country's Supreme Court saying that the ban violates a woman's right to life (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 11/28/06). Human rights advocates have said the Supreme Court should declare the ban unconstitutional because it violates "fundamental rights and principles," according to Reuters AlertNet. The Supreme Court has not set a date or time frame to issue a ruling on the case (Reuters AlertNet, 1/9).

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