Nicaragua's ongoing crackdown on Christian communities has led to the detention and imprisonment of six women over the past year, according to a persecution watchdog.

The arrests, which involve five Catholics and one Protestant, highlight the growing religious persecution under President Daniel Ortega’s regime, according to The Christian Post.

Among the detained is María Asunción Salgado, a Catholic arrested in October 2023 while attending a service at Nuestra Señora de Asuncion parish in the Diocese of Estelí.

She and two others were detained for their "religious belief, activity, and association," according to the U.S.-based group International Christian Concern.

Similarly, Evelyn Guillén was detained in August 2023 for her "religious activity and expression" after displaying a poster advocating for the release of Bishop Rolando Álvarez, a vocal critic of the regime who was later exiled to the Vatican.

Guillén has been denied medical treatment during her detention.

In August 2023, Adela Tercero and Gabriela Morales were arrested on charges of spreading false information and "undermining national security." Although these charges were dropped, both were later convicted of drug trafficking after allegedly being found with marijuana.

Their involvement with Jesuit educational institutions, known for anti-regime protests, likely made them targets.

In addition to targeting individuals, the government has cancelled the legal registration of 1,500 nonprofit organisations, including 695 religious groups from various denominations. This move, officially attributed to non-compliance with financial reporting requirements, is widely seen as a further suppression of religious freedom.

Legal experts and activists have condemned these actions, with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom documenting increasing repression against religious communities in Nicaragua, including threats and surveillance of church services.