Venezuela: HRF condemns torture of students and calls for their

Venezuela: HRF condemns torture of students and calls for their
inmediate release
[03-06-2014 11:18:31]
Human Rights Foundation

(www.miscelaneasdecuba.net).- NEW YORK. —The Human Rights Foundation
(HRF) strongly condemns the torture of students Marco Aurelio Coello and
Christian Holdack by agents of the National Bolivarian Police of
Venezuela. Coello and Holdack have been held in arbitrary detention
since February 12, 2014, for their participation in student
demonstrations on Youth Day in Caracas. They are accused by the
Venezuelan government of perpetrating the crimes that opposition leader
and prisoner of conscience Leopoldo López is charged with organizing. No
evidence has been presented against Coello and Holdack.
"The use of torture and other systematic violations of the rights of
Venezuelan students show the world the true colors of the Bolivarian
'revolution'," said Garry Kasparov, chairman of HRF. "Any act of torture
against a human being is deplorable, but the world must understand the
gravity of the situation in Venezuela, where students are being tortured
for demonstrating against an authoritarian government that is moving
closer to dictatorship with each passing day," added Kasparov.


Coello's defense attorney and members of his family described in detail
to HRF the methods used by police agents to force the 18-year-old to
confess to crimes he did not commit. Among other acts of torture, Coello
was stripped down, wrapped in a rubber mat, and beaten repeatedly for
hours with blunt objects, including fire extinguishers, baseball bats,
and golf clubs. Coello received electric shocks on numerous occasions
and he was threatened with execution several times while a gun was held
to his head. He was also doused in gasoline as agents armed with
lighters threatened to burn him alive. Christian Holdack
was subjected to similar methods of torture.

The Venezuelan government is accusing Coello and Holdack of perpetrating
acts of violence that took place during a demonstration near Carabobo
Park—including the burning of police cars and damage to a government
office building. López is currently awaiting trial and is accused of
organizing these same acts. All three individuals face charges of
incitement to commit a crime, conspiracy, arson, and damages to public
property. Coello and Holdack were part of a group of 16 students
arrested on February 12, during the student protests that were the first
of numerous massive protests against the regime of Nicolás Maduro. Six
young men were jailed (known as the "6 from 12F" in the media and on
social networks), but four were released under measures alternative to
pre-trial detention. Coello and Holdack remain imprisoned as of today.

Recently, Coello's family members have reported to the media that his
mental health has suffered as a result of the physical and psychological
trauma he has endured during his arrest and torture. According to two
psychiatric evaluations performed by private and public institutions,
Coello shows clear signs of acute post-traumatic stress disorder,
including serious depression and suicide risk.

"The Venezuelan government knows that if they let these innocent young
men go, they would also have to let Leopoldo López go, so they prefer to
keep them in prison and torture them to extract false confessions. This
must stop. The judge must release these students immediately in light of
the complete lack of evidence against them," said Kasparov. "Our hearts
are with the families of these innocent young men and we will continue
to document and denounce the government's abuses," he added.

The preliminary hearing for Coello, Holdack, and López has been
postponed on two occasions and is now set for today. Coello's defense
informed HRF of the existence of important evidence that exonerates both
Coello and Holdack of any criminal liability and, further, would allow
police to identify those actually responsible for the burning of police
cars and the damage to the government office building. However, as of
now, both the prosecution and the two courts assigned to this case have
chosen to ignore such evidence.

"Even though the Venezuelan government has denounced the American
Convention on Human Rights, and even if it were to denounce every other
treaty on the subject, the absolute prohibition of torture and other
cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment or punishment is a peremptory
norm of international law, from which no state can escape," said Javier
El-Hage, legal director of HRF. "This practice has been systematically
used against a sector of Venezuelan civil society because of their
political opinions, which makes it a crime against humanity punishable
under the Rome Statute," added El-Hage.

The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is a nonpartisan nonprofit
organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a
focus on closed societies. We believe that all human beings are entitled
to freedom of self-determination, freedom from tyranny, the rights to
speak freely, to associate with those of like mind, and to leave and
enter their countries. Individuals in a free society must be accorded
equal treatment and due process under law, and must have the opportunity
to participate in the governments of their countries; HRF's ideals
likewise find expression in the conviction that all human beings have
the right to be free from arbitrary detainment or exile and from
interference and coercion in matters of conscience. HRF does not support
nor condone violence. HRF's International Council includes human rights
advocates George Ayittey, Vladimir Bukovsky, Palden Gyatso, Garry
Kasparov, Mutabar Tadjibaeva, Ramón J. Velásquez, Elie Wiesel, and Harry Wu.

Contact: Jamie Hancock, (212) 246-8486, jamie@thehrf.org

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