International Criminal Court confirmed crimes against humanity of Nicolás Maduro regime in Venezuela should be investigated

The pursuit of International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed that Nicolás Maduro’s regime has committed crimes against humanity in Venezuela and has said such crimes should be investigated.

“The Prosecutor concluded that the information available provides a reasonable basis for believing that since at least April 2017, civil authorities, members of the armed forces and pro-government individuals have committed crimes against humanity imprisonment or other serious deprivation of physical liberty in violation of the fundamental norms of international law ”, as read in the report on preliminary examination activities What Fatou Bensouda, ICC prosecutor until last June, left his successor Karim Khan.

The Prosecutor also concluded that the cases which would likely result from an investigation into these alleged crimes “”would be admissible under Article 17 (1) (a) – (d) of the Rome Statute, ” the constitutive instrument of the International Criminal Court.

The report, dated June 15 and released on Tuesday, states that “after a comprehensive and independent process, which has benefited from the continued cooperation of the government of Venezuela, as well as other interested parties, the Prosecutor has concluded that there is a reasonable basis to believe that the crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court were committed in Venezuela ”.

Among the crimes committed by the forces of the Chavist regime, the report cites cases of torture, sexual violence Yes persecution for political reasons.

Responsible for these crimes were, according to the ICC prosecutor, the Bolivarian National Police, the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN), the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM), Special action forces (FAES), Scientific, criminal and criminal investigation body (CICPC), Bolivarian National Guard (GNB), the National Command Against Extortion and Kidnapping (CONAS) and other units of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB).

“In addition, the information available indicates that Persons linked to the government have also participated in the crackdown on real or suspected opponents of the Venezuelan government, acting mainly with members of the security forces or with their consent.Adds the report.

Prosecutor says cases arising from investigation of situation in Venezuela will be admissible at ICC “In terms of inaction”, that is to say by lack of will of the Chavist regime to continue reporting violations. This would respond to principle of complementarity, one of the requirements which provokes the intervention of the Court when a country does not or cannot judge the facts falling within the jurisdiction of the Court.

“The authorities are not really prepared to investigate and / or prosecute these cases. Indeed, according to the information available, internal processes have been initiated or national decisions taken with the aim of protecting individuals from criminal liability ”, ensures the report.

Fatou Bensouda said on June 8 at Efe What is expected to announce whether or not he will open an investigation in Venezuela for crimes against humanity as soon as the tribunal settles a claim from the Caribbean country, who complained of “discriminatory” and “unequal” treatment.

However, he left office without making any statement on the subject. The case is now in the hands of the prosecutor Karim Khan, who he replaced Bensouda on June 15.

The full report:

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