- The ODH-ULA reported that they have received reports of arbitrary arrests, forced disappearances and cruel and degrading treatment against protesters. Main photo: EFE
The Human Rights Observatory of the University of Los Andes (ODH-ULA) published a report in which it identified 12 patterns of repression against people who have been detained in the states of Mérida, Táchira and Trujillo, as well as political persecution following the presidential elections of July 28.
The report was published on August 3 in the web del ODH-ULAOf the 12 patterns, 9 are of repression and 3 of political persecution.
These are the 9 patterns of repression against those arrested in post-election protests:
-Arbitrary arrests.
-Forced disappearences.
-Cruel and degrading treatment.
-Violation of the principle of presumption of innocence.
-Imputation of serious crimes without evidence.
-Denial of the right to private defense.
-Violation of the principle of individualization of punishment.
-Non-differentiated treatment between adults and minors during their detention and judicial process.
-Non-differentiated treatment of women deprived of liberty.
Regarding patterns of political persecution, the Observatory stated:
-Inciting hatred through the public display of photographs and names of people, who are tagged with messages such as “wanted”, “reward”, “guarimbero leaders”, in some cases using symbols of police agencies.
-Violation of freedom of expression, free association and free movement.
-Harassment and attacks against press workers.
Forced disappearances, cruel and degrading treatment
In its report, the ODH-ULA stated that, through the testimonies of family members, it confirmed that most of the victims were missing for hours or even days.
“In addition to being arbitrarily detained, people captured by police and military officials are subjected to cruel and degrading treatment, through physical and verbal aggression, threats, coercion and denial of timely access to food and hydration,” said the ODH-ULA.
The organization confirmed that some people who have already been released received threats to prevent them from reporting the attacks they suffered during their detentions.
Violation of due process
Lawyers from ODH-ULA found that due process of law was violated in all cases of arrests in the state of Mérida.
These are the aspects that confirm, according to the observatory, a violation of due process:
-Charging of serious crimes without presentation of evidence, which violates the constitutional principle of presumption of innocence, also contemplated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in international treaties.
– Absence of individual charges. All detainees are charged with the same crimes and presented in group hearings.
-Imposition from Caracas of national anti-terrorism defenders and prosecutors from the Public Ministry, despite the fact that the events occurred in Mérida.
-Designation of a judge for all cases, who does not appear in person at the hearings, which are held telematically (virtually) and after the periods established in the Organic Code of Criminal Procedure (COPP).
The organization also reported that there have also been “intimidation actions” against judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys in Mérida. Authorities have denied that family members can visit or communicate with the detainees.
There is no differential treatment depending on the condition of the detainee
The ODH-ULA stated that in the Andean regions it has been detected that in many cases adolescents were detained and imprisoned with adults.
In the case of women, both adults and adolescents, they have not received differentiated treatment that guarantees their human rights.
They mentioned that one of the detainees in the Andean region is pregnant and another is breastfeeding.
“The pregnant woman was physically and verbally abused by her captors, while the nursing mother was denied her right to breastfeed her baby, who is also a victim of this transgression by not receiving food from his mother,” the report says.
Harassment of the press
The ODH-ULA also reported cases of harassment and attacks against journalists and press workers in the Andean region.
Some of these events were the arrest of the cameraman of VPI TV in Trujillo state, Paúl León, who is also a student of Social Communication at the University of Los Andes.
Likewise, the case of journalist Yuliana Palmar, reporter for the Andes Journal in Trujillo, who was physically assaulted and had her cell phone stolen.
“This observatory recalls that political persecution is a crime against humanity established in the Rome Statute, while urging the Venezuelan authorities to cease their repressive actions and to respect the human, civil and political rights of all citizens,” the document concludes.
Those arrested in post-election protests
According to the Penal Forum, between July 29 and 8:00 am on August 5, 1,010 arrests were confirmed following the post-election protests in Venezuela. Of that number, 91 are teenagers.
The Andean region alone has accumulated 85 arrests in this period, while the highest number of arrests are in the Capital District (176), Carabobo (140) and Anzoátegui (112).
On several occasions, lawyers from the Penal Forum have denounced that the detainees have not been allowed private defense, but that the authorities have assigned them public lawyers.
The organization agrees with ODH-ULA that state agencies have prevented family members from seeing or communicating with these detainees.
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2024-08-06 00:20:19
