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STORY: OHCHR / VENEZUELA DETENTION
TRT: 01:49
SOURCE: OHCHR / UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 13 May 2025 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Wide shot, exterior, Palais des Nations Headquarters of OHCHR
2. Wide shot, briefing room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“The detention and enforced disappearance of critics of the Venezuelan Government is continuing, fuelling a climate of fear. The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, calls on the authorities to release immediately all those arbitrarily detained, and to ensure due process and fair trial standards are met,” said Liz Throssell, a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office.
4. Wide shot, briefing room
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“Since last year’s election, human rights defenders, journalists and others perceived as dissident voices have been subjected to intimidation and persecution, limiting the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.”
6. Wide shot, briefing room
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“Among the most recent cases of concern is that of Eduardo Torres, a lawyer with the Venezuelan Education-Action Program on Human Rights, who according to credible information, was arrested on his way home in Caracas on 9 May. His relatives report being unable to contact him and remain unaware of his whereabouts.”
8. Wide shot, briefing room
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“Our Office continues to be concerned by conditions of detention, in particular lack of access to adequate food and health care. Our Office has verified the deaths of at least three Government critics held in custody since July 2024. These cases must be fully and independently investigated.”
10. Wide shot, briefing room
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“The High Commissioner urges authorities to provide promptly details on the fate and whereabouts of the missing and detained to their loved ones, and to ensure they are granted access to lawyers of their own choosing.’
The UN Human Rights Office spokesperson made the following comment on Venezuela at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva today (13 May).
“The detention and enforced disappearance of critics of the Venezuelan Government is continuing, fuelling a climate of fear. The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, calls on the authorities to release immediately all those arbitrarily detained, and to ensure due process and fair trial standards are met,” said Liz Throssell, a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, “she said.
“Since last year’s election, human rights defenders, journalists and others perceived as dissident voices have been subjected to intimidation and persecution, limiting the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly,” Throssell said.
“Among the most recent cases of concern is that of Eduardo Torres, a lawyer with the Venezuelan Education-Action Program on Human Rights, who according to credible information, was arrested on his way home in Caracas on 9 May. His relatives report being unable to contact him and remain unaware of his whereabouts,” she said.
“Our Office continues to be concerned by conditions of detention, in particular lack of access to adequate food and health care. Our Office has verified the deaths of at least three Government critics held in custody since July 2024. These cases must be fully and independently investigated,” Throssell said.
“The High Commissioner urges authorities to provide promptly details on the fate and whereabouts of the missing and detained to their loved ones, and to ensure they are granted access to lawyers of their own choosing,” she added.
