Venezuela's security forces have engaged in a "pattern of serious abuses" against anti-government protesters, including the use of torture, with the apparent aim of punishing political dissent, Human Rights Watch said Monday.
In a damning report, the rights group said members of the Venezuelan attorney general's office and the judiciary in many cases "knew of, participated in or otherwise tolerated abuses against protesters and detainees, including serious violations of their due process rights."
Venezuela has been convulsed by sometimes violent protests against the leftist government of President Nicolas Maduro that have left 41 people dead since mid-February, almost all of them civilians.
Jose Miguel Vivanco, HRW's Americas director, said the pattern of abuse has created "one of the most serious crises in Venezuela in years."
An HRW investigation conducted in March found "strong evidence" of rights abuses in 45 cases involving 150 civilians in Caracas and three states.
"What we found during our in-country investigation and subsequent research is a pattern of serious abuse," it said.
In at least 10 cases, "the abuses clearly constituted torture," the report said.
"In most of the cases we documented, security forces employed unlawful force, including shooting and severely beating unarmed individuals." it said.
"Nearly all of the victims were also arrested and, while in detention, subjected to physical and psychological abuse."
HRW said "security forces allowed armed pro-government gangs to assault unarmed civilians, and in some cases openly collaborated with them in the attacks."
The report noted that some protesters have used violence, throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails, and that security forces also have suffered deaths and injuries in connection with the protests.
But the evidence indicated that the victims of security force abuses were unarmed and nonviolent, and some of the worst abuses were committed against people who were not even participating in protests, or were already in detention, according to the report.
"The nature and timing of many of these abuses -- as well as the frequent use of political epithets by the perpetrators -- suggest that their aim was not to enforce the law or disperse protests, but rather to punish people for their political views or perceived views," the report said.
In many instances, security forces appeared to be targeting individuals taking pictures or videotaping confrontations with protests, about half of whom were journalists.
US Senator Robert Menendez said "the Venezuelan government must be held accountable and provide a clear explanation about the human rights violations committed by its security forces, and President Maduro must take definitive action to protect the rights of all Venezuelan citizens."
"The Venezuelan government is hiding behind its executive authority and the judiciary to repress political opponents, yet justice is denied to the innocent victims of this wave of political violence," he said in a statement.
Menendez will preside over a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Thursday during which Vivanco will testify about human rights violations during the protests in Venezuela, which have also left more than 700 people injured.
Venezuela’s security forces have engaged in a “pattern of serious abuses” against anti-government protesters, including the use of torture, with the apparent aim of punishing political dissent, Human Rights Watch said Monday.
In a damning report, the rights group said members of the Venezuelan attorney general’s office and the judiciary in many cases “knew of, participated in or otherwise tolerated abuses against protesters and detainees, including serious violations of their due process rights.”
Venezuela has been convulsed by sometimes violent protests against the leftist government of President Nicolas Maduro that have left 41 people dead since mid-February, almost all of them civilians.
Jose Miguel Vivanco, HRW’s Americas director, said the pattern of abuse has created “one of the most serious crises in Venezuela in years.”
An HRW investigation conducted in March found “strong evidence” of rights abuses in 45 cases involving 150 civilians in Caracas and three states.
“What we found during our in-country investigation and subsequent research is a pattern of serious abuse,” it said.
In at least 10 cases, “the abuses clearly constituted torture,” the report said.
“In most of the cases we documented, security forces employed unlawful force, including shooting and severely beating unarmed individuals.” it said.
“Nearly all of the victims were also arrested and, while in detention, subjected to physical and psychological abuse.”
HRW said “security forces allowed armed pro-government gangs to assault unarmed civilians, and in some cases openly collaborated with them in the attacks.”
The report noted that some protesters have used violence, throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails, and that security forces also have suffered deaths and injuries in connection with the protests.
But the evidence indicated that the victims of security force abuses were unarmed and nonviolent, and some of the worst abuses were committed against people who were not even participating in protests, or were already in detention, according to the report.
“The nature and timing of many of these abuses — as well as the frequent use of political epithets by the perpetrators — suggest that their aim was not to enforce the law or disperse protests, but rather to punish people for their political views or perceived views,” the report said.
In many instances, security forces appeared to be targeting individuals taking pictures or videotaping confrontations with protests, about half of whom were journalists.
US Senator Robert Menendez said “the Venezuelan government must be held accountable and provide a clear explanation about the human rights violations committed by its security forces, and President Maduro must take definitive action to protect the rights of all Venezuelan citizens.”
“The Venezuelan government is hiding behind its executive authority and the judiciary to repress political opponents, yet justice is denied to the innocent victims of this wave of political violence,” he said in a statement.
Menendez will preside over a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Thursday during which Vivanco will testify about human rights violations during the protests in Venezuela, which have also left more than 700 people injured.
