Jakarta: United Nations (UN) independent human rights experts have called for the authorities in Venezuela to stop attacks and intimidation against civil society organizations and journalists in the country.
Their call followed the release on February 10 of five human rights defenders and members of the non-governmental organization (NGO) Azul Positivo, who had been detained since January 12.
However, the charges they faced, relating to money laundering along with terrorism and its financing have not been dropped.
"The arrests and criminal charges are part of a pattern of increasing criminalisation of civil society organisations in Venezuela, which already operate under a repressive set of laws and regulations including the 2017 'Law Against Hate' that restricts the exercise of their right to freedom of peaceful assembly, association and expression, among others," the experts said in a press release on Thursday.
They said the Government has adopted new regulations in recent months that intensify the pressure on NGOs and restrict their access to international funding, including financial resources needed to address the humanitarian crisis.
The experts urged to review these new regulations and prioritise attention to the crisis with a human rights-based approach.
"We urge the authorities to drop the charges against the five human rights defenders of Azul Positivo," the experts said.
"We call on the authorities to review restrictive laws and practices to ensure compliance with Venezuela’s obligations under international human rights law, and respect and protect the work of civil society, including women human rights defenders," they stated.
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