UN experts denounce televised reprisals against human rights defenders in Venezuela

In retaliation for their activities in Venezuela and cooperation with United Nations and regional human rights bodies, a group of UN and Inter-American rights experts has underscored their condemnation at attempts by Venezuela’s State-controlled television to discredit and intimidate rights activists. UN Special Rapporteurs on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst, and on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye, joined Inter-American human rights experts José de Jesús Orozco, Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, and Edison Lanza, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression in deploring “what has become a clear pattern to intimidate and defame human rights defenders for merely promoting human rights in their country and for engaging with international and regional human rights bodies.” More…