Human Rights Watch, a research and advocacy organization focused on (you guessed it) human rights, announced on Friday that Venezuelan security forces are using the COVID-19 pandemic as a justification for a crackdown on political dissidents and critics of the government.
According to a recently posted article by Human Rights Watch: “Since declaring a state of emergency to combat Covid-19 in mid-March, 2020, Venezuelan authorities have arbitrarily detained and prosecuted dozens of journalists, healthcare workers, human rights lawyers, and political opponents who criticize the government of Nicolás Maduro. Many detainees are charged under an overly broad hate crimes law, before a judiciary that lacks independence. The lawyers for the accused routinely have limited access to judicial files and prosecutors, due to Covid-19 related court closures. Some detainees have been subjected to physical abuse that might amount to torture.”
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