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11 pastors, ministry leaders with Christian ministry Puerta de la Montaña were released in September after being sentenced to millions in fines and 10+ years in prison on sham charges.
- ADF International represents group before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; asks Court to hold Nicaragua accountable.
SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA (12 February 2025) The case of formerly imprisoned pastors and ministry leaders affiliated with Puerta de la Montaña, the Nicaraguan branch of a U.S.-based Christian ministry, was heard last Tuesday at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The 11 leaders received prison sentences ranging between 12 and 15 years and over 80 million dollars in fines per person after a sham trial. They were released in September of last year and are now safe in undisclosed locations. ADF International is representing them before the Court.
ADF International legal counsel Kristina Hjelkrem asked the Court to condemn Nicaragua’s egregious violations of human rights and hold the government accountable for its failure to comply with the Court’s previous orders to protect the religious leaders. Hjelkrem’s full remarks can be seen here and read in English here.
Following her intervention before the Court, Hjelkrem said: “These Christian leaders should never have been unjustly imprisoned in the first place, nor expelled from Nicaragua. The government must be held accountable for the persecution it inflicted on them. The situation in the country remains dire, and we will continue to seek justice for those suffering under the Nicaraguan regime. It’s time for the Court to condemn Nicaragua for its egregious and overt human rights violations.”
ADF International advocated for the imprisoned pastors at the international level, requesting the Inter-American Commission and Court of Human Rights grant precautionary and provisional measures, which are granted by the Court in extreme circumstances and cases to ensure the protection of human rights for the individuals involved. The Court granted the provisional measures in July of last year, including that Nicaraguan authorities “adopt the necessary measures to effectively protect the rights to life, integrity, personal freedom, health” of the 11 ministry leaders. The measures granted at the time also demanded the immediate release of the leaders and the restoration of contact with their families and legal counsel.
Following last week’s hearing, the European Parliament will vote tomorrow to increase pressure on the Ortega-Murillo regime through a resolution that aims to condemn Nicaragua for their human rights violations.
Sham Convictions
Puerta de la Montaña is the Nicaraguan branch of a U.S.-based ministry whose stated purpose is to recruit, train, commission, and send out ordained Christian ministers to spread the Gospel. Operating legally within the country, Puerta de la Montaña served the citizens of Nicaragua through discipleship, church planting, feeding, and clothing to those in need, aiding during natural disasters, and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to thousands of Nicaraguans through their mass evangelical campaign events.
On December 2023, the Nicaraguan Police issued a press release announcing a money laundering investigation into the 11 religious leaders, in addition to three American citizens. The press release also announced that the police had arrested 11 Puerta de la Montaña representatives, including its pastors, other ministry leaders, and the legal representative of the ministry, and would investigate the U.S. citizens involved with the organization. That same month, without notification, Puerta de la Montaña’s registration as a ministry in Nicaragua was arbitrarily revoked, and the government seized all of the ministry’s property and assets.
The ministry publicly denied these allegations, stating that they followed all legal requirements in the U.S. and Nicaragua that apply to non-profit and faith-based organizations.
During the sham trial that followed the arrest, the government was unable to produce any evidence of the alleged illicit activity or alleged unlawful funds. The pastors and leaders maintained their innocence but remained in prison.
Puerta de la Montaña’s religious leaders were imprisoned for over eight months, unable to contact their legal counsel or their families. The government allowed lawyers to be appointed but failed to provide them with any charging documents or files to adequately prepare a defence.
A formal conviction was handed down on 19 March 2024, sentencing the 11 individuals to between 12 and 15 years in prison and to pay over 80 million dollars in fines per person.
Members of the U.S. Senate, including Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Katie Britt (R-AL) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), advocated for the freedom of the Christian prisoners, calling on the Biden Administration to “implement strong, targeted sanctions following the repeated & escalating violations of religious freedom in Nicaragua”.
In addition, Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL), led a bipartisan, bicameral letter addressed to the Ambassador of Nicaragua that expressed concern over religious freedom violations and called for the release of the pastors. 58 Members of Congress signed the letter. In response to the situation, Congressman Aderholt said: “It was religious persecution that detained them, and it is blatant human rights violations that have kept them detained – these pastors must be released immediately.”
In April 2024, in response to a petition from ADF International, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights called on Nicaragua to address the imprisonment of the Puerta de la Montaña leaders and ensure their human rights protections. In July 2024, the Inter-American Court on Human Rights granted provisional measures to the detained leaders, calling for their immediate release and restoration of contact with their families and legal counsel.
In September 2024, the U.S. State Department announced the release of 135 prisoners in Nicaragua. Among them were the 11 pastors and ministry leaders affiliated with Puerta de la Montaña, the Nicaraguan branch of a U.S.-based Christian ministry.
Religious persecution prevalent in Nicaragua
ADF International is also supporting the case of Bishop Rolando Álvarez, who was sentenced to 26 years in prison for preaching on human rights violations perpetrated by the Nicaraguan government. Bishop Álvarez, expelled from Nicaragua for his religious convictions, is now in exile. His case continues before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, in the hopes of achieving some measure of justice for the bishop and setting a positive precedent for others facing similar trials in Nicaragua.
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