The de facto government fails to respond to UN requests for information on the situation of human rights defenders

Once again, the de facto government headed by Nicolás Maduro fails to respond to the requests of rapporteurs and working groups of the United Nations for official information on acts of persecution against human rights defenders, especially those committed by Venezuelan judges and prosecutors, including the cases of human rights defenders Engel Puertas, director at Iniciativa para una Justicia Igualitaria (Initiative for Equal Justice), Theresly Malavé of Justicia y Proceso Venezuela (Justice and Process Venezuela), and Yasnaia Villalobos, defender of political prisoners.

Several UN mechanisms have also requested information on the situation of Javier Tarazona, director at Venezuelan NGO Fundaredes, and Rodney Antonio Álvarez Rodríguez, member of the Ferrominera del Orinoco workers’ union, who was recently released after more than 11 years in prison.

The information was requested on January 14 by the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions, the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, and the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism.

Once again, the Maduro government fails to comply with its duty to respond to communications from the UN thematic mechanisms within 60 days, prompting a new communication

In the first three cases, the acts of threats, harassment, and intimidation came from judges and prosecutors, including a judge and a prosecutor from the Criminal Judicial Circuit of the Public Ministry in the state of Mérida, officials from the First Special Court of First Instance in Functions of Trial with National Jurisdiction on Terrorism, and prison officers. Officers of the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) and other unidentified individuals were also involved.

In the case of Theresly Malavé, the rapporteurs and the UN working group affirm that it could also be a case of retaliation for having cooperated with the Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela. In his 2021 Report on reprisals for cooperation with the UN, the UN Secretary-General noted that it is not the first time that the practice of reprisals against human rights defenders in Venezuela is observed.

Regarding the case of Javier Tarazona and Rodney Antonio Álvarez Rodríguez, the UN rapporteurs and working group recalled that the Venezuelan State never responded to the communication of July 27, 2021, in which they had requested official information on the cases

In the case of Javier Tarazona, the UN rapporteurs and working group expressed concern about his health situation, especially due to the lack of medical care for pre-existing conditions and the refusal to transfer the activist to a specialized center for much needed medical tests.

The rapporteurs and the working group asked four questions that were not answered by the Venezuela State, including information on the measures adopted by the government to protect human rights defenders and other civil society actors from threats, intimidation and assaults.

You can find the complete communication in Spanish HERE.