The NGO PROVEA, one of the main human rights organizations in Venezuela, denounced that political prisoners from the regime of dictator Nicolás Maduro have been tortured in prison to admit crimes accused of them by the country’s Public Ministry. According to the institution, around 2,000 protesters held in Venezuelan state custody are accused of crimes such as conspiracy and terrorism, after being arrested during demonstrations contesting the results of the July 28 elections.
In publication on social network (formerly Twitter), the NGO stated that it had received complaints from family members of political opponents held in prisons in locations such as Tocuyito, Tocorón, Rodeo and Las Crisálidas. According to the note, agents of the Venezuelan state are threatening victims with “cruel physical torture”, deprivation of food and medicine, prohibition of receiving external visits, and even holding trials without the possibility that the accused may have any type of defense during the process.
“The complaints (…) indicate that the detainees would be forced to sign and place their fingerprints on blank papers, which constitutes a massive procedural fraud and a new and open violation of the detainees’ judicial guarantees”, states the note from the institution.
The publication also reiterates that the high number of people accused of terrorism by the Madura regime and the “co-opted Venezuelan justice system” corroborate a recent United Nations report, which warns of the “chronic abuse” of anti-terrorism legislation by Maduro.
After the results of the elections, the European Union (EU) had already asked Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE), led by Chavistas and responsible for the elections, for access to the minutes of all polling stations from the July election. “Until the minutes are published and verified, the announced results cannot be recognized,” the body stated at the time.
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