Inter-American Court of Human Rights sentenced Venezuelan state to prison in 2003

Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) condemned the Venezuelan state for an operation that the National Guard carried out in a prison in 2003 and whose agents 7 people deprived of their liberty were executed, while another 27 were injured. Specifically, it concluded that it violated the right to life and personal integrity of executed and injured detainees, respectively.

The Costa Rican judiciary, which is part of the Organization of American States (OAS) but operates independently, reported on Thursday that, despite the Venezuelan state’s admission of responsibility, the sentence was necessary to deepen what happened and order remedial action.

“Deaths caused during the operation of 10 November 2003 as a result of the use of excessive and disproportionate force, configured arbitrary deprivations of life“The Inter-American Court detailed.

The victims of extrajudicial executions were Orlando Edgardo Olivares Muñoz, Joel Ronaldy Reyes Nava, Orangel José Figueroa, Héctor Javier Muñoz Valerio, Pedro Ramón López Chaurán, José Gregorio Bolívar Corro and Richard Alexis Núñez Palma, who were deprived of their liberty at the Judicial Boarding School in Ciudad Bolivar, known as Vista Hermosa Prison.

The Inter-American Court added in the judgment that, with regard to the injured persons, “the use of force used against them, because it was not strictly necessary because of the behavior of their own detainees, constituted a violation of the right to personal integrity“.

The Inter-American Court recalled that during the trial, the Venezuelan state accepted responsibility for human rights violations in this case and acknowledged that the deaths “are part of extralegal, arbitrary or summary executions.”

The state also acknowledged that, as a result of the operation carried out by the National Guard, there were injuries to persons deprived of their liberty.

However, it also concluded that the State had not done its due diligence and that the facts had not been clarified since the date of their completion; Neither those responsible have been identified and no compensation has been awarded to the victims and their families.

In addition, according to the body’s judges, the state failed to initiate an investigation before the possible commission of acts of torture. At the time of the events, the president of Venezuela was Hugo Chávez.

The Court also found that the relatives of the deceased they were affected by the suffering and anguish caused by the loss of loved ones and the lack of clarification of facts.

In the sentence, The Inter-American Court orders Venezuela to restart, with due diligence, the appropriate investigation and criminal proceedings for the determination, prosecution and punishment of those responsible..

In addition, the state must carry out a public act of recognition of international responsibility.

As regards compensation, the Court has ordered, for non-pecuniary damage, $ 50,000 for the family of each deceased and $ 25,000 for each of the 27 injured.

For lost profits, the state must pay $ 50,000 to the family of each deceased victim.

This is the second negative decision for the Venezuelan state in as many weeks. On December 11, the Inter-American Court convicted five teenagers of violating the rights to life in a fire that took place in a detention center where they were detained in 2005.

The Inter-American Court on Friday notified the parties regarding the judgment in the case of Mota Abarullo et al. V. Venezuela, in which considers the state responsible for violating the rights to life, personal integrity and the rights of the child; to the detriment of José Gregorio Mota Abarullo, Gabriel de Jesús Yáñez Sánchez, Rafael Antonio Parra Herrera, Cristian Arnaldo Molina Córdova and Johan José Correa.

(With information from EFE)

MORE ON THESE TOPICS:

Venezuelan prosecutor’s office requests arrest warrant against Chavista MP who threatened two women with a gun

The number of Venezuelan migrants killed in the wreck of the barge bound for Trinidad and Tobago is 28