The ICC will investigate complaints of human rights violations in Venezuela

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  • Karim Khan, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), met in Caracas with President Nicolás Maduro

  • The Government accepted the initiation of the investigations although it said it did not share the criteria of the ICC

The Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro took the most unexpected photograph by political analysts, no less than together with Karim Khan, prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC). 17 days before a regional elections that, for the moment, arouse little enthusiasm, Maduro received it reluctantly. The ICC has decided that complaints of serious human rights violations in Venezuela are the subject of a formal investigation with the consent of Caracas. The Miraflores Palace signed a memorandum of understanding with the ICC envoy in which, however, it states that, in its opinion, “the requirements of Article 53 of the Rome Statute are not met, to justify the passage of the phase of preliminary examination to the investigation phase “. Episodes of state violence during the 2017 political crisis, which caused more than 100 deaths, will be at the center of Khan’s work. “There are differences in criteria about what happened in the preliminary examination, and we have been frank and direct in stating that the State was not allowed to know the documentation and content that was evaluated there,” Maduro said upon receiving the visitor. However, he added: “We respect your decision, although we declare that we do not share it“and” we accept the letter of this signed document. “

Maduro reiterated in front of Khan that in Venezuela, they are guarantors of justice. In turn, he anticipated that the ICC document “will be the subject of analysis in an open society“The president said he wanted to be.”the first to know the truth and do justice, and to get out of the doubts that could have been created through campaigns on social networks. “Maduro asked to put” prejudices aside & rdquor; and promised to “work this agreement between the parties.”

The “Venezuela I” case had been opened three years ago. Khan’s predecessor, Fatou Bensouda had considered that there is evidence to start an investigation. Against this background, the ICC sets out to “determine” whether “whether or not there are grounds for filing charges against someone“.

“I want to ratify our respect and our invitation on dates to be agreed, as soon as possible, for you to return to Venezuela with your team and thus deepen the monitoring and development of the agreement. The doors of Venezuela are open,” he said finally Mature.

The reactions

Khan expressed his satisfaction with the commitment made by the Miraflores Palace. “We are committed to working collaboratively, independently, with full respect for complementarity. “His arrival in Caracas had an immediate impact on human rights defense organizations.” The main concern of the victims and Venezuelan human rights NGOs is impunity for the perpetrators of serious human rights violations. and crimes against humanity committed in Venezuela & rdquor ;, said the Venezuelan Program of Education Action in Human Rights (Provea).

“The formal opening of the investigation for crimes against humanity, by the International Criminal Court, vindicates the right to obtain justice that has been denied in Venezuela for the victims and their families,” said the former deputy Juan Guaidó, who is still recognized by the United States as the “president in charge” of Venezuela.

The role of the State during the crisis of 2017, the moment of greatest tension in the streets between the Government and the most radical sectors of the opposition, as well as in the months that followed, has already been the subject of critical scrutiny by Alta Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle bachelet, who was in Caracas two years ago.

The context

Khan’s presence in the Venezuelan capital took place in moments of hiatus from the talks between the madurismo and a good part of the opposition to find a negotiated solution to the internal political conflict. The dialogue that had been taking place in Mexico was suspended with the extradition to the United States of Alex Saab, a businessman of Colombian origin who has carried out numerous international economic operations on behalf of the Venezuelan Government, who has tried to give him diplomatic status.

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Reference-www.elperiodico.com

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