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Human rights activist Rocío San Miguel: Disappeared? (here in Caracas in 2011)
Photo: Fernando Llano / AP
The United Nations has expressed concern over the arrest of a prominent human rights activist in Venezuela. The president of the non-governmental organization Control Ciudadano (Citizen Control), Rocío San Miguel, was arrested as she tried to leave the country by plane.
»Her whereabouts are unclear. “Your arrest could possibly be viewed as an enforced disappearance,” said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. "We demand their immediate release and respect for their right to legal representation."
The public prosecutor's office in the South American country accuses San Miguel of treason and terrorism, among other things. She is said to have been involved in an alleged conspiracy to plan an attack on a barracks and an assassination attempt on President Nicolás Maduro. San Miguel is a security expert and documents human rights violations by the police, military and secret service with her organization Control Ciudadano.
The independent experts on behalf of the UN Human Rights Council called on the government in Caracas to stop the repression against opposition members. "These are not isolated cases, but appear to be part of a coordinated plan to silence critics and alleged opponents," said the chairwoman of the expert group, Marta Valiñas.
The White House also spoke out. The USA is “deeply concerned” about the arrest. "We're watching this very, very closely," National Security Council Communications Director John Kirby told reporters.
Recently, repression against government opponents in Venezuela has increased again. Ahead of the presidential election this year, in which President Maduro wants to be confirmed in office, several leading opposition figures were banned from political activity.
aeh/dpa/Reuters