More than 30 people in Venezuela considered to be "political prisoners" were released on Sunday (1 February), legal rights group Foro Penal said, as part of a prisoner release process that families have said is too slow.
The releases follow an announcement by Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez on Friday (30 January) of a proposed “amnesty law” for hundreds of prisoners. She also said the Helicoide detention centre in Caracas would be converted into a centre for sport and social services.
A 2022 United Nations report said prisoners in Helicoide were subjected to torture, an accusation the government rejected.
Rights group Foro Penal said it had verified that 344 "political prisoners" had been freed since the government announced the new series of prisoner releases in early January, 33 of them on Sunday (1 February).
Government officials, who deny holding political prisoners, say more than 600 inmates have been released, a figure that appears to include releases from previous years.
Among those freed on Sunday was human rights activist Javier Tarazona, who had been in prison since mid-2021 in the Helicoide center.
"After 1,675 days, four years and seven months, the day we've so wished for has arrived, my brother Javier Tarazona is free," Jose Rafael Tarazona said on X. "The freedom of one is hope for all."
Tarazona is the director of FundaRedes, which tracks alleged abuses by Colombian armed groups and the Venezuelan military along the countries' border. He was arrested and accused of terrorism and conspiracy.
Prisoner releases have accelerated since Venezuela announced a release policy on 8 January, in the wake of the U.S. capture of former President Nicolás Maduro.
"Every step towards freedom and the definitive end of repression is important," Gonzalo Himiob, vice president of Foro Penal, said on X.
The Venezuelan communications ministry, which handles press queries, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Foro Penal has said more than 300 political prisoners have been released in recent weeks and estimated that more than 700 remain jailed.
The government has not said how many prisoners will be released or identified them.
Families of prisoners say the releases have progressed too slowly, and relatives and human rights advocates have demanded that charges and convictions against detainees who are considered political prisoners be expunged.
Nobel Peace Prize winner and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who has several close allies imprisoned, has advocated for their release.
Prominent figures still detained include opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa and lawyer Perkins Rocha, both close Machado allies, and opposition Voluntad Popular party leader Freddy Superlano.
An unknown projectile struck a tanker 68 nautical miles northeast of Saudi Arabia on Friday according to a report released by the United Kingdom Ma...
Nationwide protests are set to begin in France on Saturday with students, trade unionists and remna...
Uzbekistan welcomed 10.3 million foreign tourists in the first nine months of 2026, up 20.4 per cent year-on-year, as the Central Asian nation push...
The U.S. has banned government employees working in Saudi Arabia from using airports in the country without special authorisation. It comes after a deadly Houthi strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed at least 13 people last week.
The Saudi-led coalition said early Thursday that it intercepted and destroyed a drone over Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called it “a disgrace” that Ukraine has resumed attacks on Russian oil refineries. Attacks are continuing from Russia and Ukraine as media reports say Ukraine has almost run out of Patriot interceptor missiles.
Ukraine is set to restart attacks on Russian oil refineries following a two-day pause, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, amid growing tensions with Washington over energy strikes and U.S. military support.
France is preparing for a fresh wave of nationwide demonstrations this weekend as rising living costs, education concerns and growing political tensions converge into one of the most significant protest movements seen in the country in recent years.
Nationwide protests are set to begin in France on Saturday with students, trade unionists and remnants of the Yellow Vest movement expected to demonstrate against rising living costs amongst others.
European Union leaders wrapped up a summit in Brussels with agreement emerging on several key issues, including support for the automotive industry, trade tensions with China and financing for Ukraine.
What would you miss most after six months orbiting Earth, 400 kilometres above the ground? For astronauts, a familiar meal can offer a welcome taste of home. China is making that possible, bringing everything from dumplings to Kung Pao chicken to its space station.
A group of U.S. lawmakers is seeking to halt the Trump administration's agreement to purchase and import Russian diesel fuel, arguing that the arrangement would benefit Moscow financially while offering little relief to American consumers.
The Trump administration is once again searching for a new chief spokesperson after Katie Zacharia was removed as White House press secretary less than a week after taking the position, in what appears to be one of the shortest tenures in the history of the role.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment