The International Criminal Court (ICC) rejects Venezuela's appeal against the investigation into human rights

11-03-2024

Júlia Barreto Reis

International Justice Team Researcher, 

Global Human Rights Defence

In 2023, Venezuela appealed the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC), made by the Pre-Trial Chamber I on June 27th, 2023, to resume investigations into alleged human rights abuses committed by Venezuelan government authorities. Venezuela argued that the accusation would trigger the principle of complementarity, wherein the court can only intervene if the country itself is not investigating the same crimes.

In early March of this year, judges of the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) unanimously rejected Venezuela's appeal against the decision of June 27th, 2023. In light of the appeal's rejection, the prosecuting attorney was authorized to resume the investigation into the case, which, since 2020, alleges crimes against humanity in Venezuela since 2017, particularly regarding violence against protesters and government opponents.

Following the ICC's decision, Venezuela's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yvan Gil, expressed his stance on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating that Venezuela rejects the appellate court's decision. He believes that the decision was unfounded and politically motivated. According to him, the alleged crimes against humanity never occurred, and international criminal justice is being improperly used to target the Venezuelan government.

In 2024, the country is experiencing a tense period concerning presidential elections. The international community is vigilant and fears that the elections may not be adequately and legally conducted, especially since one of the main government opponents, former deputy María Corina, was prevented from participating in the 2024 presidential elections.

Sources and further readings:

International Criminal Court, 'Venezuela I Situation: ICC Appeals Chamber Confirms Decision Authorising Resumption' (1 March 2024) https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/venezuela-i-situation-icc-appeals-chamber-confirms-decision-authorising-resumption accessed 11 March 2024.

US News, 'Judges Reject Venezuela Appeal Against ICC Probe' (1 March 2024) US News https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2024-03-01/judges-reject-venezuela-appeal-against-icc-probe accessed 11 March 2024.