Venezuela must release peaceful protesters and allow a prompt, independent investigation into the deaths of at least 10 people in protests at the weekend, the United Nations human rights chief said on Tuesday.
In a statement, U.N. Human Rights chief Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein also called for the release of two prominent opposition leaders, who were arrested in raids at their homes.
Leopoldo Lopez, a 46-year-old hardliner, and Antonio Ledezma, a 62-year-old veteran politician, were both under house arrest, the former for his role in leading street demonstrations against President Nicolas Maduro in 2014, and the latter on charges of plotting a coup,
U.N. Office of the High Commissioner For Human Rights (OHCHR) Spokeswoman, Ravina Shamdasani, said, “The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights is deeply concerned that Leopoldo Lopez and Antonio Ledezma have had their house arrest revoked and they have been placed back in custody.
“The High Commissioner is calling on Venezuelan authorities to ensure that all those who have been detained for the exercise of their human rights to peaceful assembly, to the freedom of expression, to the freedom of association, to be promptly released.”
Shamdasani said the detention of the two prominent opposition figures had already been declared arbitrary by the U.N. working group on arbitrary detention, which is the authority on these matters.
“So we are asking the government to respect this decision and to promptly release these two men,” she said.
The pro-government Supreme Court said in a Facebook statement the measures were taken because the men had been planning to flee.