The Public Office for the Defense of Victims questioned that since June 2023, when the ICC Prosecutor’s Office resumed the investigation into Venezuela, there has been no concrete progress in opening a case or issuing arrest warrants against defendants.
The Public Office for the Defense of Victims (OPCV) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) strongly questioned prosecutor Karim Khan’s lack of progress in the investigation of crimes against humanity committed in Venezuela.
In a writingdated this Friday, November 22, addressed to the ICC Appeals Chamber on the occasion of the challenge presented against Khan for alleged conflicts of interest, the OPCV warned that “the victims have been waiting for justice for a long time and have the right to procedural fast and fair.
“Many victims have expressed a deep sense of frustration, feeling that the prosecutor has not given the difficult situation (in Venezuela) the same priority as other situations where investigations have moved more quickly and have resulted in the issuance of several warrants.” of arrest. “They wonder why the crimes and suffering they have suffered appear to be treated with less urgency compared to those affecting victims in other contexts,” the OPCV noted.
The Public Office for the Defense of Victims questioned that since June 2023, when the ICC Prosecutor’s Office resumed the investigation into Venezuela, there has been no concrete progress in opening a case or issuing arrest warrants against defendants.
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“This prolonged period without concrete action and the opening of a case is worrying since, in general, an investigation should be initiated without delay and carried out efficiently to be effective, since over time, witnesses’ memories fade, witnesses may die or become untraceablethe evidence deteriorates or ceases to exist and, therefore, the prospects that an effective investigation can be carried out are increasingly diminished,” the office warned.
The OPCV said that the victims’ sense of injustice is further aggravated by the current situation in Venezuela following the July 28, 2024 elections, where the Government has intensified the use of the most severe measures and violent methods of repression.
They also questioned that the Prosecutor has not taken a public position on the recent crimes committed in the aftermath of the presidential elections. “This lack of public comment, coupled with his apparent inaction, raises concern among victims and their families regarding the Prosecutor’s commitment to address the current serious situation and ensure that the investigation continues to respond to new developments.”
The organization referred to the massive post-election arrests, where according to the Venezuelan authorities themselves they detained more than 2,000 people. “The high number of arrests of children and adolescents (including people with disabilities), which represents 10% of the total number of arrests documented by various NGOs, is an alarming figure, given their vulnerability,” they warned.
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