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GENEVA / CARACAS (Reuters) – The US human rights office on Tuesday called for the opening of an independent investigation into the death of a politician of the opposition. a Venezuelan who committed suicide by throwing himself out of the window while he was in detention but whose party was allegedly murdered.
People stand next to the coffin of opposition MP Fernando Alban during a ceremony at the National Assembly in Caracas (Venezuela) on October 9, 2018. REUTERS / Carlos Garcia Rawlins
The municipal legislator Fernando Alban, 56, was jailed on Friday for alleged involvement in the explosion of two drones during the August military parade by President Nicolas Maduro, said the Interior Minister, Nestor Reverol.
United Nations human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said at a press conference in Geneva that her office was concerned about the news of Alban's death on Monday and by the that he had not been brought before a judge within 48 hours of his arrest, as required by Venezuelan law.
"We call for a transparent and independent inquiry to clarify the circumstances of her death," she said. "We understand that there are conflicting reports about what exactly happened."
In an article on Twitter, Reverol said that when he was in the waiting room on the 10th floor of the headquarters of the state intelligence agency SEBIN, Alban jumped out the window and died.
This story differs from that of Attorney General Tarek Saab, who stated in televised statements that Alban had asked to use a bathroom and had jumped from there.
Shamdasani said that the Venezuelan state was responsible for Alban 's security during his detention.
The opposition party First Justice, to which Alban belonged, declared that he had been assassinated. He said his arrest was due to statements he made at recent United Nations meetings in New York denouncing human rights violations in Venezuela.
The first lawmakers of justice were in the eastern cemetery of Caracas Tuesday morning to plan the burial of Alban. Authorities have not yet published his autopsy report.
The United States Embassy in Caracas joined the United Nations in calling for an independent investigation into Alban's "suspicious and violent" death.
"We strongly condemn this new human rights violation that is part of a long list that has led to this tragedy," the group said in a statement released Tuesday on Twitter.
The European Union also said that it expects a "thorough and independent investigation" to explain the circumstances. In a statement, the European External Action Service (EEAS) called on the Venezuelan government to respect the human rights of people in detention.
In a June report, the UN Human Rights Council declared that Venezuelan security forces suspected of killing hundreds of protesters and that the accused criminals were being held in custody. immunity from prosecution, added that the rule of law is "virtually absent".
Venezuelan prisons are overcrowded and working conditions are "horrible" as detainees are deprived of food and clean water, Shamdasani said on Tuesday. She called for the release of 59 Colombian nationals who have been detained without charge in Venezuela for more than two years.
On September 27, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted its first resolution on Venezuela, inviting the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to report on the situation. 39 next year.
The Maduro government denies detaining political prisoners and said those who had been imprisoned were involved in efforts to destabilize his government.
Reportage of Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva and Angus Berwick in Caracas; Edited by William Maclean and Bill Trott
