Amnesty: Maduro Government Must Face International Justice
HAVANA TIMES – Amnesty International on Tuesday said the Venezuelan government may have committed crimes against humanity and called for it to be taken before “an independent and impartial judicial body.”
“Selective extrajudicial executions, arbitrary detentions, and deaths and injuries caused by the excessive use of force by [President] Nicolas Maduro’s government as part of a systematic and widespread policy of repression since at least 2017 may constitute crimes against humanity,” the rights group said in a statement based on a new report.
The government is repressing opponents or perceived opponents “simply because they are protesting, for which Nicolas Maduro’s government must be held accountable before the international justice system,” Amnesty’s Americas director Erika Guevara-Rosas said.
During massive anti-government protests from 21 to 25 January this year, at least 47 people were shot dead in 12 of the country’s 23 states, according to Amnesty.
At least 33 of them were killed by state security forces and six by third parties acting with the approval of the authorities. More than
900 people were arbitrarily detained.
The events during those five days reflect a policy of repression documented by Amnesty since 2014, which includes cruel and inhumane treatment and torture, the rights group said.
Amnesty has also denounced more than 8,000 extrajudicial executions by the security forces between 2015 and 2017.
Amnesty urged the UN Human Rights Council to establish a commission of inquiry and called for “the activation of universal jurisdiction by countries genuinely concerned about the situation in the country.”
Amnesty is not “singling out Venezuela”. It is responding in accord with its mandate, to the disregard for human rights, the fleeing of Venezuelan people to other countries and the killing on the streets of protesters by Maduro’s thugs.
Such actions may be acceptable to a fellow traveler like yourself Curt, but they are offensive to those who support freedom. Obviously you would like to attribute the non-democratic actions of other countries to the US as the usual subject of your attacks. But, you omit noticing that Amnesty has made reports upon and criticized both the Philippines and Saudi Arabia.
Your ignorance of the work of Amnesty is self-evident.
Why is Amnesty International singling out Venezuela. Other countries such as the Philippines and Saudi Arabia have also had extrajudicial killings and arbitrary detentions. Maybe because they are friendly with the US.
Gerrit’s comment although short, is the most nonsensical one I have read in Havana Times over several years.
Amnesty International is famed for its support for human rights irrespective of country or political party. Amnesty HQ remains in London, UK where it started in 1961 with representation on its Board of Labour (socialist) Liberal and Conservative parties. Secretary Generals have included people from Bangladesh, India, Senegal, South Africa, Sweden and the UK. In 1977 the organization was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
In a report in 2005, Amnesty in criticizing the Bush administration, likened Guantanamo to being like a “Soviet Gulag” and in 2011 Amnesty requested Swiss authorities to start a criminal investigation of former US President – and former Head of the CIA George W. Bush and to arrest him.
In 2016, amnesty called on the UN General Assembly to: “immediately suspend” Saudi Arabia from the UN Human Rights Council.
Yet Gerit who is self-evidently a supporter of totalitarian communism, is silly enough to describe Amnesty as: “CIA. Pure fascist”
A pitiful display of ignorance.
Amnesty is CIA. Pure fascist