Complaint against Chávez at the International Criminal Court

Venezuelan lawyer Hermann Escarrá said that Venezuelan prisoners are retained in jail beyond the legal limits of preemptive custody - A group of Venezuelan lawyers filed on Wednesday a complaint against President Hugo Chávez before the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The lawyers accused Venezuela's leader of crimes against humankind for the violation of human rights of political and common prisoners in the country. Hermán Escarrá, the representative of the prisoners, explained to EFE that the complaint "is based on Article 7" of the Rome Statute, which is related to "crime against humanity" in case of acts committed against human rights, EFE reported. Escarrá said that the aforementioned Article describes as a "crime against humanity when there is a State policy (it means that it cannot be related to a particular case), in order to commit attacks such as imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of the fundamental rules of international law." The Statute of Rome, in force since July 2002, governs the functioning of the ICC, which is located in The Hague and is the first permanent international court to investigate and prosecute individuals accused of committing the most serious crimes of international concern. Escarrá said that the Venezuelan prisoners are retained in prison beyond the legal limits to remain in preemptive custody. They have been held in prison for 4 to 6 years, while the Venezuelan law states that the time in prison pending trial should not exceed two years, he added. Escarrá charged that "in Venezuela there is a dictatorship in disguise." The ICC never makes comments on the allegations filed. Its members only declare on claims that, after the study of the relevant cases, are admitted to launch a formal proceeding.