Human rights defenders condemn repression in Venezuela and demand guarantee of right to protest
International organizations in defense of human rights They condemned the high levels of repression and violence in Venezuela, and demanded that the authorities guarantee the right to protest and respect the rights of Venezuelans, “essential elements” in democracy.
The entities sign a statement in which they express their concern about the “arbitrary” arrests and the criminalization of protests, in a pre-election and post-election context in Venezuela marked by repression and multiple human rights violationsincluding “a serious pattern of politically motivated detentions, potentially unlawful killings, restrictions on press freedoms and internet shutdowns.”
In this regard, they are “particularly alarmed” by the statement made by the Venezuelan Attorney General, Towing William Saabthose arrested in connection with the protest, and the announcement that they will be charged with crimes such as public incitement, obstruction of public roads, incitement to hatred, resistance to authority and, in the most serious cases, terrorism, which will result in prison sentences.
“We call on the authorities to refrain from criminalizing the protest and fully comply with international standards and norms on the use of force“, they urge, and demand that these same authorities “de-escalate the conflict, use non-violent means, use force in a progressive and differentiated manner, and respect the right to political participation through the electoral process.”
