CARACAS. – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) condemned the decision of regime of Nicolás Maduro to expel the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from the country.
On Tuesday, February 20, in a statement, the Commission urged “to urgently reverse” the measure and resume activities with the HIM. In addition, he requested Venezuela’s consent to visit the country.
The IACHR also advocated for the immediate release of activist Rocío San Miguel, president of the NGO Control Ciudadano, who was arrested on February 9 and accused by the Attorney General’s Office of the alleged commission of the crimes of conspiracy, terrorism and treason. homeland. The organization said that the departure from the High Commissioner’s office occurred after the statement on the situation of the human rights defender.
On February 12, the IACHR condemned the forced disappearance of lawyer San Miguel and recalled that she is the beneficiary of precautionary protection measures. In turn, he urged the Maduro regime to ensure respect for judicial guarantees and the presumption of innocence of the activist.
Persecution of opponents
In the statement, the Inter-American Commission stated that it shares the concerns of the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights about the treatment that has been given to those who are perceived as opponents of the regime.
“The Commission has documented arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial executions, the absence of due process, indefinite imprisonment and forced disappearances of opponents and human rights defenders. In this regard, it has issued several precautionary measures calling on the State to guarantee the right to life and the personal integrity of the detained persons, including adequate prison conditions,” the statement said.
The IACHR pointed out that the regime of Venezuela “has shown apathy with its international obligations by denouncing treaties and conventions and the expulsion of civil society organizations with a presence on the ground and members of electoral missions. The recent decision to suspend the activities of the Office of the High Commissioner of the United Nations shows its rejection of international scrutiny in matters of human rights, which is particularly serious in a country characterized by the closure of all democratic space and the absence of the rule of law.
@snederr
Source: IACHR
