Amnesty International sent an open letter to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, today calling for urgent action on the commission of crimes under international law in Venezuela. Regarding the matter, Erika Guevara-Rosas, senior director of research, advocacy, policy and campaigns for the organization, said:
“Prosecutor Karim Khan’s silence in the face of the crisis in Venezuela is alarming. His office has witnessed the deaths of dozens of people at the hands of security forces and pro-government armed groups, as well as the arbitrary detention of more than 2,000 people in a matter of days, just for opposing or being perceived to oppose Nicolás Maduro’s government. On top of that, we’ve seen attacks, threats and the stigmatization of human rights defenders and civil society organizations that expose the government’s arbitrary actions, and who look to the Office of the Prosecutor as a last resort for justice.”
“This tragedy is a consequence of the impunity for serious human rights violations and crimes against humanity that Maduro’s government has been committing for years. However, the current increase in the scale and gravity of the acts being carried out against the Venezuelan people demands an urgent acceleration of the investigation into the situation in the country.”
“In concrete terms, we expect the Prosecutor to issue a preventive statement as a warning to the perpetrators of possible international crimes and human rights violations. We also call on him to publicly support Venezuelan NGOs and human rights defenders, and to condemn the attacks against those who are being targeted for their tireless work for justice. Now more than ever, we need the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to take resolute and immediate action.”
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