Attorney General Saab urges the International Criminal Court to act against Salvadoran President Bukele.

On Monday, Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab denounced that 252 Venezuelans deported from the United States and held in a Salvadoran prison were systematically subjected to violations of their human rights.

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At the so-called “Terrorism Confinement Center” (CECOT), the migrants were subjected to practices including unlawful detention, daily torture, prolonged isolation without sunlight or ventilation, being shot with rubber pellets, receiving spoiled food and non-potable water, denial of medical care, and numerous violations of due process.

Venezuela’s investigation will include Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, Justice Minister Hector Gustavo Villatoro, and Director of Penal Centers Osiris Luna Meza.

Saab called on the International Criminal Court, the United Nations Human Rights Council, and relevant organizations worldwide to denounce these three individuals and any others directly involved in systematic torture.

He also accused Bukele of ordering the abuse of the migrants confined in CECOT, where they were denied access to lawyers or family members. Venezuelan authorities were likewise unable to obtain timely information about the detained migrants or their physical condition.

“At this moment, Bukele has become the Western Hemisphere’s worst murderer,” Saab said, citing an article from a U.S. outlet that accuses the Salvadoran president of leading gangs.

Saab also denounced that the 252 Venezuelans were brutally tortured around the clock and sexually abused by guards. Once the migrants were released and allowed to return to Venezuela, a team of prosecutors and experts took their testimonies.

The information gathered revealed that detainees at CECOT were frequently beaten or shot with rubber pellets when they protested against the abuse. As a result of these investigations, 123 formal complaints have been documented.

The text reads, “Attorney General Tarek William Saab presented the testimonies of Venezuelan migrants kidnapped in El Salvador, who reported physical and psychological abuse by the CECOT guards.”

Saab showed video footage of young migrants displaying injuries from rubber pellets or bladed weapons inflicted by guards, including wounds to the chest, back, face, and genitals. One of the victims said that CECOT guards intimidated him to prevent him from telling the Red Cross about the abuse.

The Venezuelan attorney general also accused institutions within El Salvador’s justice system of being complicit in the abuses. His office submitted a request to the Salvadoran Supreme Court to safeguard the rights of the 252 migrants.

After 80 days, however, the Salvadoran judges issued a response that the Venezuelan prosecutor’s office described as “completely unlawful and pirate-like,” claiming it legitimized the mistreatment of the Venezuelan migrants. “We hope international organizations stop being complicit,” Saab stressed.

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: VTV – teleSUR

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