ICC’s Prosecutor accuses the Venezuelan Government of unwillingness to investigate crimes against humanity.

Recently, the ICC issued a statement accusing the Government of Venezuela of being unwilling to conduct investigations over crimes against humanity, including torture, rape and persecution, committed by security forces and pro-government militias in the country, notably during violent repression of anti-government protests in 2017. The ICC has already opened an investigation to assess the occurrence of these crimes, but according to the former prosecutor Fatou Bezouda, she needed to confirm whether the local government was truly bringing perpetrators to justice. Following a recent report released last week, the prosecutor attests that “authorities are unwilling genuinely to investigate and/or prosecute such cases”. Her conclusion was based on the insignificant number of cases brought to national courts when over 100 people were victims of violations that occurred in mass protests. As Venezuela is part of the Rome Statute, the ICC can initiate an investigation on international crimes committed in its territory when it is either unwilling or unable to tackle these crimes. For more information, please visit: https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/80910-icc-says-venezuela-unwilling-to-probe-rights-abuses.html