The Inter -American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) denounces arbitrary arrests, forced disappearances and reprisals against relatives of opponents in the country. Requires immediate and unconditional liberation of people deprived of liberty for political reasons
The Inter -American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) urged the Venezuelan State to end the incommunication of political prisoners and to release them immediately and unconditionally. In a pRonunciation on its web portalpublished this Friday, April 11, the agency condemned the serious human rights violations in the country, which include arbitrary arrests, forced disappearances and prolonged periods of isolation, especially after the elections of July 28, 2024.
According to the IACHR, at least 903 people remain detained for political reasons in the country. Of these, 64 families have not received official confirmation about the place of seclusion of their loved ones. In many cases, relatives have only known that they are alive thanks to other prisoners or calls from prison officials requesting medicines or clothing.
“Coactive lack of communication is prohibited by international and inter -American standards”recalled the commission, which has also received testimonies about mistreatment, invasive requisitions and humiliations against relatives – specially women – who try to visit the detainees.
In the same way, he denounces that sometimes, the penitentiary personnel deliberately refuses to allow visits or provide information on the health status of the prisoners, as in the cases of Freddy Superlano, Perkins Rocha and Américo de Grazia, all beneficiaries of precautionary measures issued by the IACHR.
*Also read: Criminal Forum records 896 political prisoners: five adolescents continue to arrested
The IACHR said that the Nicolás Maduro regime not only represses opponents for exercising their rights to expression, meeting and association, but also punishes their families as a way of intimidation and retaliation.
The agency warned about an aggravation of the political and human rights crisis after last year’s presidential elections. In his Report «Venezuela: serious human rights violations in the electoral context»published in January, documented a repression strategy aimed at preventing opposition political participation and sowing fear among citizens.
In this context, arbitrary arrests and forced disappearances were recorded, such as that of the human rights defender Rocío San Miguel. In addition, he recalled that Nicolás Maduro himself reported that, after the elections, 2,229 people were arrested, including 177 girls and boys who were later released.
The Commission also denounced the lack of judicial guarantees in the processes against opposition, with vague accusations, public defenders, restricted access to files and hearings in anti -terrorist courts. This, the agency warns, shows the lack of independence of the Judiciary and the use of the Public Ministry as a political tool.
The IACHR reiterated that the Venezuelan State must free all people detained for political reasons and guarantee their integrity, access to health, contact with their relatives and technical defense of trust. He also urged urgent measures to restore the independence of public authorities, an indispensable condition for an impartial justice system and respectful of human rights.
*Journalism in Venezuela is exercised in a hostile environment for the press with dozens of legal instruments arranged for the punishment of the word, especially the laws “against hatred”, “against fascism” and “against blockade.” This content was written taking into consideration the threats and limits that, consequently, have been imposed on the dissemination of information from within the country.
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