The IACHR asked the Venezuelan State to guarantee that the members of the Penal Forum can “carry out their activities to defend human rights without being subject to threats, harassment or acts of violence.”
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) expanded the precautionary protection measures in favor of the members of the Penal Forum, after considering that their “rights to life and personal integrity” in the country are at risk.
In the “Monitoring, Modification, Expansion and Lifting Resolution 92/2024”, published this Tuesday, December 3, the situation of at least 14 people who work in this organization, responsible for providing free legal assistance to citizen victims, is taken into account. of arbitrary arrests for political reasons.
The IACHR stated that the members of the Penal Forum have faced “intimidation, harassment by state agents, holding them for long periods, threatening them with arrest or opening proceedings against them for documenting the events.”
In addition to maintaining the measures in favor of Alfredo Romero, Gonzalo Himiob Santomé, Luis Betancourt, and Olnar Ortiz, they were expanded to include Kennedy Tejeda (currently detained), Mayela Fonseca, Lucía Quintero, Pedro Arévalo, Arelys Ayala, Wiecza Santos Matiz, Laura Valbuena, Raquel Sánchez Carrero, Franyer José Hernández Valladares and Marbella Gutiérrez.
The Commission asked the government of Nicolás Maduro to “adopt the necessary measures to protect the rights to life and personal integrity of the members of Foro Penal duly identified in this resolution.”
It was also urged to implement measures to guarantee that beneficiaries can “carry out their activities to defend human rights without being subject to threats, harassment or acts of violence.”
Regarding the situation of Kennedy Tejeda, detained after the elections, it was requested to report on his current legal situation, allowing family members and legal representatives to have communication with him.
Likewise, that they be formally informed “about the existence of any investigation process” against any of the beneficiaries, including the facts, crimes, prosecutors and competent authorities that carry out the legal process, allowing them to access their file and the presentation of corresponding resources guaranteeing their safety.
With information from The truth
