UN Human Rights Council Extends Fact-Finding Mission In Venezuela For 2 Years - Resolution

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th October, 2020) The UN Human Rights Council voted in favor of a resolution extending the mandate of its independent international fact-finding mission in Venezuela for two years to continue probing human rights abuses in the country.

The Human Rights Council "decides to extend the mandate of the independent international fact-finding mission for a period of two years, to enable the mission to continue to investigate gross violations of human rights, including extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, including those involving sexual and gender-based violence, committed since 2014," the text of the resolution said on Tuesday.

In September, following a year-long investigation in the country, the mission, formed in 2019, issued a report in which it said the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is responsible for human rights violations that amount to crimes against humanity.

The adopted resolution strongly condemned all violations of international human rights law and "expressed profound alarm" about the findings of the fact-finding mission of crimes committed, including murder, torture, rape and enforced disappearance of persons.

It also called on the Venezuelan authorities to fully cooperate with the mission and grant them immediate, full and unfettered access to the entire country and ensure they can communicate with the United Nations and other human rights entities without fear of reprisal or attack.

The resolution, introduced by Peru, was supported by 22 member states, including Brazil, Chile, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland and Ukraine. Eritrea, the Philippines and Venezuela were the three countries that voted against the adoption.

Afghanistan, Armenia, India, Libya, Mexico, Pakistan and Sudan were among the 22 member states who abstained from voting.