Versión Español
EspañolSecretary General of the Organization of American States Luis Almagro denounced an increase in military judicial proceedings against civilians in Venezuela.
“There are characteristics of a dictatorship that are unmistakable,” he said, “and today I must refer to one more in Venezuela, the passage of civilians to military justice.”
Almagro stated in a video that:
“The accusations of vilification and instigation of rebellion, as well as other classifications of similar nature, are part of a reactionary discourse lacking legal grounds applied against protestors … this is a new constitutional violation. Article 261 clearly states that the commission of common crimes, human rights violations and crimes against humanity will be tried by ordinary courts. The jurisdiction of the military courts is limited to crimes of a military nature.”
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The Secretary General of the international organization also denounced civilian detainments by military justice officials, who are following a chain of command that begins with General Vladimir Padrino Lopez.
“This chain of command has no right to persecute,” he said. “It has no right to imprison, it has no right to intimidate and ultimately destroy the nation of Venezuela and to destabilize the region while hiding in fanciful imaginary conspiracies.”
“I already said it in the past and today it is more than appropriate to reiterate it: the rule of law died in Venezuela,” he said.
According to Almagro, “prosecuting civilians with military justice violates all basic principles of democracy and human rights.”
Procesar civiles desde justicia militar vulnera todos los principios básicos de democracia y DDHH #Venezuelahttps://t.co/03kjaqAnJ0 pic.twitter.com/0MhjqJf6Sn
— Luis Almagro (@Almagro_OEA2015) May 9, 2017
Tweet: Processing civilians with military justice endangers every basic principle of Democracy and Human Rights.
Sources: La Patilla; Efecto Cocuyo; Diario las Américas.
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