The IACHR urged the Venezuelan State to establish democratic order and the rule of law, “guaranteeing the independence of public powers and access to electoral information, including the complete publication of voting records and independent scrutiny.”
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Through the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression (RELE), he condemned the repression against the press and the persecution of those who exercise their right to freedom of expression in Venezuela, especially after the presidential elections of July 28.
The IACHR urged the Venezuelan State to establish democratic order and the rule of law, “guaranteeing the independence of public powers and access to electoral information, including the complete publication of voting records and independent scrutiny.”
It also called for the immediate release of all people detained for the exercise of their rights to freedom of expression, political participation, association and peaceful assembly, including journalists and media workers.
In a statement this Thursday, December 26, the IACHR said that it is aware of the releases in recent weeks, including some journalists, “although the criminal proceedings against them would remain ongoing. Currently, at least six journalists and press workers remain deprived of liberty.
Likewise, the Commission indicated that the conditions for the exercise of freedom of expression in Venezuela continue to deteriorate, “in a context marked by arbitrary arrests, restrictions on access to public information and acts of persecution, intimidation, threats and censorship.”
The IACHR emphasized that at least 21 journalists and media workers have been accused without foundation of crimes such as terrorism, incitement to hate, disruption of public order, illicit association and obstruction of public roads.
The IACHR also referred to the recent promulgation of the Law on Supervision, Regularization, Action and Financing of NGOs, and the Organic Law of Liberator Simón Bolívar against the Imperialist Blockade and in Defense of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and said that it has documented the advancement of the draft Law against Fascism, Neofascism and Similar Expressions. “According to civil society organizations, the approval of these laws facilitates arbitrary persecution against freedom of expression and the rights of assembly and association.”
IACHR registers violation of human rights
In this context, the Office of the Special Rapporteur for freedom of expression has recorded a pattern of serious violations of due process and judicial guarantees, “which include the incommunication of detained persons with their families and lawyers, the prohibition of visits, the denial of technical defense, the lack of adequate notification of the charges and their connection with the crimes charged, as well as restrictions on access to files and crucial information in judicial processes.
The IACHR recalled that it has documented cases of harassment, harassment, threats and other attacks against the press: Raids, media closures, digital blocking of news websites, confiscation of equipment, cancellation of passports, arbitrary dismissals, extortion, threats of arrest and the disclosure of personal information through social networks and instant messaging applications.
Another documented aspect is the stigmatizing statements of public officials against journalists. «The smear campaigns to discredit their work have exacerbated violence against the press and worsened a climate of fear and self-censorship, which has forced many journalists to modify their routines, suspend coverage of matters of public interest related to the elections. , move, go into exile or, in some cases, permanently abandon their profession.
The RELE urges the Venezuelan State to immediately cease practices that violate human rights and release those arbitrarily detained. Furthermore, it reiterates its urgent call to the international community to condemn institutional violence, promote the protection of the press and reinforce monitoring of the situation in the country.
On the other hand, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights said that censorship strategies are not limited to the press: they have also been extended to the general population, especially those who support the protests or the opposition, through “Operation Tun Tun,” which It involves mass surveillance, raids, searches and arbitrary detentions. “The repression has generated a climate of widespread fear, seriously restricting freedom of expression and access to information, particularly at a crucial time for the country’s political situation.”
International call
The IACHR urged the international community to “strongly” condemn the institutional violence in Venezuela and the systematic violations of human rights, especially freedom of expression. They also call to demand that the Venezuelan government immediately release those arbitrarily detained “and guarantee unrestricted access by international and human rights organizations to the detainees and their families.”
They urged the urgent and coordinated activation of bilateral and multilateral diplomatic channels, “as well as dialogue and monitoring mechanisms, aimed at protecting the exercise of journalism and freedom of expression in Venezuela.”
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