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Home [english] Region Americas Venezuela Venezuela: Stop Harassing (...)
Venezuela: Stop Harassing Human Rights Defenders - Intimidation Undermines Independent Oversight
Urgent Appeal
(Panama City, April 7, 2015) – Venezuela is intimidating and harassing human rights defenders, and making unsubstantiated allegations that they are seeking to undermine Venezuelan democracy, 28 international and Latin American human rights organizations said today. The authorities' allegations concern the groups' legitimate functions of documenting abuses and representing victims before international human rights bodies.
Venezuelan authorities should cease this tactic immediately, the groups said. Governments participating in the Summit of the Americas in Panama on April 10-11, 2015, should press the administration of Nicolás Maduro to ensure that human rights defenders can do their job without fear of reprisals, the organizations said.
The government harassment is clearly intended to discredit and intimidate groups that document human rights violations, the groups said.
On February 12, Diosdado Cabello, president of the National Assembly and member of the governing party, stated on the website of his weekly TV show, Con el Mazo Dando, aired on the state-run Venezolanade Televisión, that "NGO representatives from the Venezuelan extreme right" would participate in hearings before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in March. Cabello had previously criticized Venezuelan human rights defenders who participated in the country's review by the UN Committee Against Torture in Geneva, or traveled abroad to conduct advocacy meetings.On March 18, during his show, Cabello read a list of names of individuals and organizations who had traveled to Washington, DC, to participate in the IACHR hearings. The list included leading human rights groups such as Provea, Espacio Público (Public Space), Observatorio Venezolano de Prisiones (Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons), Transparencia Venezuela (Transparency Venezuela), Cofavic, Codevida, and Observatorio Venezolano de Conflictividad Social (Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflicts). Cabello accused them of receiving instructions from the US Embassy in Caracas before traveling to the hearings.Cabello contends that the information presented on the show had been provided by anonymous "patriotic informants" (patriotas cooperantes).Twelve human rights defenders who arrived in Caracas on various flights between March 20 and 22 have said that they were followed by unidentified men from when they landed until they left the airport, were filmed or photographed, and/or that officials irregularly searched their bags.
On March 23, María Alejandra Díaz, a lawyer who represented the government at the IACHR hearings, said on Venezolana de Televisión that "The issue of human rights is just a façade" and that nongovernmental groups that participated in the hearings "say they are Venezuelan" but "play the imperialist game" and "lie in front of the IACHR to make Venezuela look like the devil."
An article published on April 3 in the official newspaper Correo del Orinoco accused two well-respected human rights defenders of being part of the US Central Intelligence Agency's "Venezuelan delegation" at the Summit of the Americas. Their objective is to "legitimize destabilization actions" in Venezuela, the article says.
Under international law, governments must ensure that human rights defenders are allowed to pursue their legitimiate activities without reprisals, threats, intimidation, harassment, discrimination, or unnecessary legal obstacles. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights held in 2003 that "[r]espect for human rights in a democratic state depends largely on human rights defenders enjoying effective and adequate guarantees so as to freely go about their activities."
The rights to freedom of expression and association may be subject to limitations, but the limitations must adhere to strict standards so that they do not improperly impede the exercise of those rights. Any restrictions should be prescribed by law, be necessary in a democratic society, and proportionate to the aim pursued.
In 2012, the UN special rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association called on countries to ensure that these rights "are enjoyed by everyone and any registered or unregistered entities" and that no one is subject to "harassment, persecution, intimidation or reprisals" for exercising them.
Amnesty InternationalAsociación Pro Derechos Humanos (APRODEH) (Peru)
Asociación por los Derechos Civiles (ADC) (Argentina)
Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Montaña Tlachinollan (Mexico)Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez, A.C. (Centro Prodh) (Mexico)
Centro de Estudios de Derecho, Justicia y Sociedad (Dejusticia) (Colombia)
Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) CIVICUS
Ciudadanos en Apoyo a los Derechos Humanos, A.C. (CADHAC) (Mexico)
Comisión Colombiana de Juristas (Colombia)
Comisión Ecuménica de Derechos Humanos (CEDHU) (Ecuador)
Corporación Humanas (Chile)
Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos (Peru)
Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF)Instituto de Estudios Legales y Sociales del Uruguay (IELSUR) (Uruguay)
Instituto de Defensa Legal (IDL) (Peru)
Instituto de Desenvolvimento e Direitos Humanos (Brazil)
International Commission of Jurists
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)Frontline Defenders
Fundación Myrna Mack (Guatemala)
Fundación Regional de Asesoría en Derechos Humanos (INREDH) (Ecuador)
Observatorio Ciudadano (Chile)
Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human RightsTransparency International
World Organization Against Torture
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Our member organisations Associacao Justica Paz e Democracia (AJPD) LIGUE POUR LA DEFENSE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME AU BENIN (LDDHB) DITSHWANELO - The Botswana Centre for Human Rights MOUVEMENT BURKINABE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME & DES PEUPLES (MBDHP) LIGUE BURUNDAISE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME (ITEKA) MAISON DES DROITS DE L'HOMME DU CAMEROUN (MDHC) LIGUE CENTRAFRICAINE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME (LCDH) République Centrafricaine >> Organisation pour la Compassion des Familles en Détresse (OCODEFAD) ASSOCIATION TCHADIENNE POUR LA PROMOTION ET LA DEFENSE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME (ATPDH) LIGUE TCHADIENNE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME (LTDH) OBSERVATOIRE CONGOLAIS DES DROITS DE L'HOMME (OCDH) LIGUE IVOIRIENNE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME (LIDHO) MOUVEMENT IVOIRIEN DES DROITS HUMAINS (MIDH) ASSOCIATION AFRICAINE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME (ASADHO) GROUPE LOTUS LIGUE DES ELECTEURS (LE) LIGUE DJIBOUTIENNE DES DROITS HUMAINS (LDDH) HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL (HRCO) MÊMES DROITS POUR TOUS ORGANISATION GUINEENNE DE DEFENSE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME ET DU CITOYEN (OGDH) LIGA GUINEENSE DOS DIREITOS HUMANOS (LGDH) KENYA HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION (KHRC) REGIONAL WATCH FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION MALIENNE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME (AMDH) ASSOCIATION MAURITANIENNE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME (AMDH) LIGA MOCANBICANA DOS DIREITOS HUMANOS (LMDDH) ASSOCIATION NIGERIENNE POUR LA DEFENSE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME (ANDDH) Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) ASSOCIATION RWANDAISE POUR LA DEFENSE DES DROITS DE LA PERSONNE ET LIBERTES PUBLIQUES (ADL) LIGUE RWANDAISE POUR LA PROMOTION ET LA DEFENSE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME (LIPRODHOR) Ligue Sénégalaise des Droits Humains (LSDH) ORGANISATION NATIONALE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME (ONDH) Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l'Homme (RADDHO) Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) AFRICAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE STUDIES (ACJPS) SUDAN HUMAN RIGHTS MONITOR (SUHRIM) THE LEGAL & HUMAN RIGHTS CENTRE (LHRC) Ligue togolaise des droits de l'Homme (LTDH) FOUNDATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS INITIATIVE (FHRI) ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION (ZIMRIGHTS) CENTRO DE ESTUDIOS LEGALES Y SOCIALES (CELS) COMITÉ DE ACCIÓN JURÍDICA (CAJ) LIGA ARGENTINA POR LOS DERECHOS DEL HOMBRE (LADH) JUSTIÇA GLOBAL (CJG) MOVIMENTO NACIONAL DE DIREITOS HUMANOS (MNDH) CORPORACIÓN DE PROMOCIÓN Y DEFENSA DE LOS DERECHOS DEL PUEBLO (CODEPU) OBSERVATORIO CIUDADANO COMITÉ PERMANENTE POR LA DEFENSA DE LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS (CPDH) CORPORACIÓN COLECTIVO DE ABOGADOS JOSÉ ALVEAR RESTREPO (CCAJAR) INSTITUTO LATINOAMERICANO PARA UNA SOCIEDAD Y UN DERECHO ALTERNATIVOS [ILSA] Organización Femenina Popular - OFP Asociación de Servicios de Promoción Laboral - ASEPROLA COMISIÓN CUBANA DE DERECHOS HUMANOS Y RECONCILIACIÓN NACIONAL (CDHRN) CENTRO PARA LA ACCIÓN LEGAL EN DERECHOS HUMANOS (CALDH) COMISIÓN DE DERECHOS HUMANOS DE GUATEMALA (CDHG) Centre oecuménique des Droits de l'Homme - CEDH Réseau National de Défense des Droits Humains - RNDDH COMISIÓN MEXICANA DE DEFENSA Y PROMOCIÓN DE LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS (CMDPDH) LIGA MEXICANA POR LA DEFENSA DE LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS (LIMEDDH) CENTRO NICARAGUENSE DE DERECHOS HUMANOS (CENIDH) CENTRO DE CAPACITACIÓN SOCIAL (CCS) ASOCIACIÓN PRO DERECHOS HUMANOS (APRODEH) CENTRO DE ASESORÍA LABORAL (CEDAL) Centro de Políticas Públicas y Derechos Humanos – EQUIDAD CENTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS (CCR) The Center for Justice & Accountability Armanshahr/OPEN ASIA ODHIKAR ALTSEAN-Burma CAMBODIAN HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (ADHOC) LIGUE CAMBODGIENNE DE DEFENSE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME (LICADHO) China Labour Bulletin HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA (HRIC) Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative - CHRI PEOPLE'S WATCH KontraS DEFENDERS OF HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER (DHRC) JUSTICE FOR IRAN LIGUE DE DEFENSE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME EN IRAN (LDDHI)-LEAGUE FOR THE DEFENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN IRAN Center for Prisoner's Rights (CPR) MOUVEMENT LAOTIEN POUR LES DROITS DE L'HOMME (MLDH) SUARA RAKYAT MALAYSIA (SUARAM) HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF PAKISTAN (HRCP) PHILIPPINE ALLIANCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES (PAHRA) People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy Taiwan Association for Human Rights - TAHR Internet Law Reform Dialogue UNION FOR CIVIL LIBERTY (UCL) International Campaign for Tibet Vietnam Committee on Human Rights & Que Me : Action for Democracy in Vietnam ALBANIAN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP (AHRG) Civil Society Institute - CSI OSTERREICHISCHE LIGA FUR MENSCHENRECHTE (OLFM) HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER VIASNA Association Européenne pour la défense des Droits de l'Homme (AEDH) LIGA VOOR MENSENRECHTEN (LVM) LIGUE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME - BELGIQUE (LDH) Liga Lidských Práv (Human Rights League -HRL) FINNISH LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (FLHR) LIGUE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME ET DU CITOYEN (LDH) HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER (HRIDC) INTERNATIONALE LIGA FUR MENSCHENRECHTE (ILMR) Free Legal Advice Centres ltd. (FLAC) IRISH COUNCIL FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES (ICCL) LEGA ITALIANA DEI DIRITTI DELL'UOMO (LIDU) UNIONE FORENSE PER LA TUTELA DEI DIRITTI DELL'UOMO (UFTDU) International Legal Initiative (ILI) Kazakstan international Bureau for Human Rights and rule of law (KIBHR) Centre of Human Rights" Kylym Chamy" Human Rights Movement "Bir Duino" Legal Clinic « Adilet » LATVIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE (LHRC) LITHUANIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION (LHRA) MALTA ASSOCIATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS (MAHR) PROMO-LEX ASSOCIATION MOLDOVA LIGA VOOR DE RECHTEN VAN DE MENS (LVRM) Polish Society of Antidiscrimination Law (PSAL) CIVITAS THE LEAGUE FOR THE DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS (LADO) CITIZEN'S WATCH (CW) Human rights centre "Memorial" The Anti-Discrimination Center "Memorial" ASOCIACION PRO DERECHOS HUMANOS DE ESPANA (APDHE) FEDERACION DE ASOCIACIONES DE DEFENSA Y DE PROMOCION DE LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS (FADPDH) LIGUE SUISSE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME (LSDH) Tajik "Bureau on Human Rights and Rule of Law" (BHR) HUMAN RIGHTS FOUNDATION OF TURKEY (HRFT) INSAN HAKLARI DERNEGI / ANKARA (IHD/A) INSAN HAKLARI DERNEGI / DIYARBAKIR (IHD/D) Centre for Civil liberties (CCL) COMMITTEE ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE (CAJ) LIBERTY Collectif Des Familles de Disparu(e)s en Algérie (CFDA) Ligue Algérienne de Défense des Droits de l'Homme (LADDH) Bahrain Center for Human Rights - BCHR BAHRAIN HUMAN RIGHTS SOCIETY (BHRS) Gulf Center for Human rights (GCHR) Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) EGYPTIAN ORGANIZATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (EOHR) Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) The Human Rights Association for the Assistance of Prisoners - HRAAP IRAQI NETWORK FOR HUMAN RIGHTS CULTURE AND DEVELOPMENT (INHRCD) ADALAH ASSOCIATION FOR CIVIL RIGHTS IN ISRAEL (ACRI) B'TSELEM PUBLIC COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE IN ISRAEL (PCATI) AL HAQ Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights PALESTINIAN CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (PCHR) Ramallah Centre for Human Rights Studies - RCHRS AMMAN CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS STUDIES (ACHRS) Gulf Center for Human rights (GCHR) Human Line Organisation Centre Libanais des Droits Humains (CLDH) Palestinian Human Rights Organization (PHRO) Human Rights Association for Recording and Documenting War Crimes and Crimes LIBYAN LEAGUE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (LLH) Association Démocratique des Femmes du Maroc (ADFM) ASSOCIATION MAROCAINE DES DROITS HUMAINS (AMDH) ORGANISATION MAROCAINE DES DROITS HUMAINS (OMDH) AL MARSAD COMMITTEES FOR THE DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACY FREEDOMS AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN SYRIA(CDF) Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies - DCHRS Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) Association Tunisienne des Femmes Démocrates - ATFD Doustourna Forum tunisien pour les droits économiques et sociaux (FTDES) LIGUE TUNISIENNE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME (LTDH) Gulf Center for Human rights (GCHR) HUMAN RIGHTS INFORMATION AND TRAINING CENTER (HRITC) SISTERS' ARABIC FORUM FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (SAF)
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