At least 58 teenagers – most of them boys – remain detained across the country after being arrested during protests against the results of the July 28 presidential elections, where the CNE declared Nicolás Maduro the winner.
The NGO Justice, Encounter and Forgiveness (JEP) on Sunday called for the release of all teenagers who remain detained for their alleged involvement in the post-election protests in the country.
“The adolescents who remain detained in various prisons and re-education centres in the country should be preparing to return to the classroom, but they continue to be deprived of their freedom without justified reason, awaiting trial, in most cases, without access to trusted lawyers,” the NGO stressed in a message in social networks.
The authorities also recalled that the teenagers “have inalienable rights that must be respected and protected,” and therefore insisted that they be released immediately.
The teenagers who remain detained in various prisons and rehabilitation centres in the country should be preparing to return to the classroom, but they continue to be deprived of their freedom without justified reason, awaiting trial, in most cases, without access… pic.twitter.com/aBI4roQQXP
— Justice, Encounter and Forgiveness (@JEPvzla) September 22, 2024
According to figures from organizations such as the Penal Forum, at least 58 teenagers –most of them men– remain detained throughout the country after being arrested amid protests against the results of the July 28 presidential elections, where the CNE declared Nicolás Maduro the winner.
More than 80 of them have been released in recent weeks with precautionary measures of presentation, prohibition of leaving the country, prohibition of speaking about their cases or participating in large meetings. A group of mothers of young people who remain detained in the Caracas City Care Unit reported in recent days that they were victims of torture and mistreatment at the time of their arrest.
For its part, the Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela said in its latest report that the number of arbitrary detentions of adolescents is not comparable to other periods of anti-government protests. They also reported torture, sexual violence against adolescent girls and direct threats.
*Read also: Persecution, torture and sexual violence: some of the crimes reported by the UN Mission
The Mission investigated the case of two teenagers, aged 15 and 17, who were arrested during the protests without having participated in them. National Guard officers “detained them, beat them, pulled their hair, called them ‘guarimbera bitches’ and touched one of them between the legs over her clothes. They were later transferred to the Bolivarian National Guard command, where they were beaten and humiliated. One of them was forced to take off her pants and touched her genitals.”
Post Views: 679
