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Experts call for release of imprisoned Venezuelan judge
Three independent UN human rights experts are calling Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's arrest of a judge "a blow to the independence of judges and lawyers in the country."
Hugo Chávez
Judge María Lourdes Afiuni was arrested after ordering the conditional release of Venezuelan banker and philanthropist, Eligio Cedeño. Cedeño's detention was declared arbitrary by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions in September, citing violations of the right to fair trial. Mr. Cedeno was ordered released by Judge Afiuni on 10 December after almost three years in detention without trial.
The experts say President Chávez openly instructed the Attorney General and the President of the Supreme Court to punish Judge Afiuni as severely as possible, to prevent similar actions by other judges.
The 3 UN experts -on arbitrary detention, on the independence of judges and lawyers, and the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders - are all calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Judge Afiuni, saying in part that "reprisals for exercising their constitutionally guaranteed functions serve no purpose except to undermine the rule of law and obstruct justice".
Diane Bailey, United Nations Radio
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