Military prisoners in Venezuela protest for irregularities

Ua group of 177 military personnel arrested in Venezuela's main military prison initiated an undetermined peaceful protest to report judicial irregularities, human rights violations and demand the release of prisoners with sentence already served.

The demands of the military, held at the National Center for Military Processes, known as Ramo Verde prison, were made known in a manuscript communiqué, released Saturday by opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado.

In the document, they denounce the situation “of defencelessness, uncertainty and legal irregularity” in which they find themselves, which they say stems “from the non-compliance and systematic violation of constitutional guarantees, human rights and the proper process enshrined in current legislation”.

Among the main demands is the “immediate release of military personnel who have fully served the imposed sentence”, accusing the courts of “illegal deprivation of freedom and contempt of justice”.

They also denounce cases of prisoners whose cases “do not have a court of the case or a assigned destination, keeping them in a situation of defenseless and legal limbo that directly violates the constitutional guarantee of the natural judge”.

In addition, “the appeals brought in the appeal are unjustifiedly halted, repeatedly violating the legal deadlines laid down in the criminal and procedural military legislation” which associate with a “non-compliance with procedural deadlines and partiality in the appeal phase”.

“ In view of the absolute lack of institutional response, the definitive exhaustion of ordinary roads and the persistent violation of our procedural rights, we formally announce before the authorities and public opinion the beginning of a peaceful and collective protest ", reads in the manuscript document.

Prisoners stress that the measure “will remain indefinite until effective, verifiable work tables are established and concrete responses are given” to the requirements.

They also demand that answers be given in cases where the courts have been extinguished and remain in a procedural limbo, such as the Courts of Terrorism, and other cases that have constantly changed from court to court.

They also point out “cases in which due process has been violated since arbitrary arrests”, which they say occurred “without a court order, without crimes being committed in flagrante delicto, without any investigation by the prosecutor, among others”.

They also point out situations in which there was “prevention of private defense, presentation to courts after the legal deadline established by the Organic Criminal Procedure Code, incurring constitutional violations such as the guarantee of due process” and in which “forced disappearances occurred for days, weeks and months”.

They also ask that “respect for the deadlines of appeal and that decisions be taken in accordance with the law, without government pressure”, and that “procedural benefits be guaranteed through their different alternative forms”, such as “penalty reduction through working hours or study and other forms provided for in the law”.

Detainees also require the establishment of a direct communication and verification channel to integrate the cases of military political prisoners in coordination with their families and defenders.

They also place the granting of freedom in exile on the table for political reasons, requesting mediation from Norway and other countries under international law, and authorizing the organisation “Heroes Anonymous” for their respective procedures.

They also call for the presence and monitoring of the Ombudsman and international human rights bodies to ensure the life and physical integrity of the participants in the protest.