Collective 46/2 calls for the intellectual authors of the murder of former Nicaraguan military officer Roberto Samcam to be brought to light

The 46/2 Collective asked the authorities of Costa Rica to review the archived case file on the intellectual authorship of the murder of Roberto Samcam. (Illustrative image Infobae)The 46/2 Collective asked the authorities of Costa Rica to evaluate the legal avenues for reviewing the archived investigation intended to determine who ordered the murder of former Nicaraguan military officer Roberto Samcam, which occurred on June 19, 2025 in San José. The coalition warned that clarifying the possible intellectual authorship is necessary given the risks faced by Nicaraguan opposition members outside their country. In a statement released this Friday, the group expressed concern over the decision of the Costa Rican Public Prosecutor's Office to archive the line of investigation into those who would have planned or ordered the crime. According to the information cited by the collective, the Prosecutor's Office indicated that the case file could be reopened if new evidence emerges, while the criminal process continues against persons accused of alleged material participation in the homicide. The collective acknowledged the work carried out by the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ), as well as the progress made in identifying and bringing suspects to justice. Even so, it maintained that the lack of determination regarding the possible intellectual authors leaves a central question of the case open. Samcam, a retired military officer and critic of the Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo regime, was living in exile in Costa Rica when he was murdered. For the signatory organizations, the crime must be examined within a context of threats, surveillance and attacks against Nicaraguan people who left the country after the political and human rights crisis. Roberto Samcam was living in exile in San José when his homicide occurred in June 2025. (REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo)The 46/2 Collective pointed out that the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua (GHREN) documented a pattern of transnational violations against persons considered opponents by the Nicaraguan regime. In a report published in September 2025, the group of experts described surveillance and intelligence mechanisms that, according to its analysis, would make it possible to locate and follow exiles in other countries. The GHREN document included Samcam's murder in its assessment of episodes of physical violence against exiled persons. The group of experts indicated that there was relevant information pointing to a possible political motivation, although it warned that independent and exhaustive investigations are required to establish responsibilities. The statement also cited a recent decision by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), which granted precautionary measures to ten Nicaraguan persons in the face of threats and situations of violence related to reports of transnational repression. The IACHR recognized the institutional measures adopted by Costa Rica to protect persons at risk. However, it concluded that the available actions had not succeeded in effectively mitigating the identified threats. The inter-American body mentioned Samcam's murder as an event that reflects the possibility that similar risks may materialize. The Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua documented a pattern of surveillance and intelligence against opponents of Ortega and Murillo abroad. (AP Photo/Alfredo Zúñiga, File)The 46/2 Collective also asked the Costa Rican State to strengthen prevention and protection measures for exiled Nicaraguans, including Claudia Vargas and her family, expressly mentioned in the document. It requested that their security and the full exercise of their rights be guaranteed. In September 2026, a joint statement by United Nations experts on transnational repression recalled that States must prevent, investigate and respond to such acts through prompt, independent, impartial and effective inquiries. The collective took up that criterion to demand that the investigations reach the alleged material and intellectual authors. Among its requests, the 46/2 Collective asked the Public Prosecutor's Office of Costa Rica to assess the available legal mechanisms to review the archived case and determine whether reasonable investigative steps were exhausted to clarify the possible intellectual authorship. It also proposed resorting to international judicial cooperation where pertinent. The Costa Rican Public Prosecutor's Office archived the investigation into the intellectual authors of Roberto Samcam's crime, although it maintains the process against the material suspects. (Courtesy: Social media)To the States that host exiled Nicaraguan population, it asked that they swiftly investigate threats, surveillance, harassment and attacks that may constitute forms of transnational repression. The call extended to the international community, whom it asked for technical and judicial support to strengthen the protection of affected persons. The 46/2 Collective brings together 23 international, regional and Nicaraguan human rights organizations. Among the entities that publicly endorsed the statement are the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), the Nicaragua Never Again Human Rights Collective, the Fundación del Río, the Autonomous Women's Movement and Urnas Abiertas.