Venezuela: The scale and severity of ongoing crimes demand urgent action by the ICC Prosecutor

Amnesty International has today issued a public letter to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, demanding urgent action against the commission of crimes under international law in Venezuela. Erika Guerra Rosas, the organization's senior director of research, advocacy, policy and campaigns, said:

“The silence of lawyer Karim Khan in the face of the crisis in Venezuela is disturbing. His prosecutor's office has witnessed the deaths of dozens of people at the hands of security forces and pro-government armed groups, and the arbitrary detention of more than two thousand people in just a few days of Nicolas Maduro's government. In addition, human rights defenders and civil society organizations who expose the arbitrary nature of the government face attacks, threats and stigmatization and see their prosecutor's office as a last resort for justice.

Now more than ever, we need immediate and decisive action from the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

Erika Guerra Rosas, Senior Director of Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns

“This tragedy is the result of years of impunity for the Maduro government's gross violations of human rights and crimes against humanity. However, the current increase in the scale and severity of the actions being carried out against the Venezuelan people requires you to urgently accelerate your investigation into the situation in the country.

“We hope that the prosecutor will issue a preventive report that will present, in concrete terms, the perpetrators of possible international crimes and human rights violations. We ask you to publicly support Venezuelan NGOs and human rights defenders and condemn the attacks against those who are being attacked for their tireless work in support of justice. “Now more than ever, We need immediate and decisive action from the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.”