The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, has announced that his organization is going to open an investigation into Venezuela for human rights violations . He has done so after having completed a preliminary examination on the ground after having spent a few days in Venezuela, and the announcement was made in an appearance with the narco-dictator Nicolás Maduro himself .
The prosecutor has drawn up a memorandum of understanding ratified by the ICC and by the Maduro government itself. In the act in which he was presented, the prosecutor Khan had good words towards the tyrant, whom he thanked for the “extremely frank and open debate”, as well as the “constructive dialogue” that he and his delegation have had with representatives and officials of the Venezuelan Government.
The Venezuelan regime has staged disappointment with the prosecutor’s decision, considering in its opinion that the requirements set forth in the Rome Statute are not met to move from a preliminary examination to an investigation phase, but it has insisted that it respects the decision and will collaborate with the research.
Khan arrived in Venezuela this past Sunday for a three-day visit, during which he met with all the bosses of the Caribbean regime. In addition to Maduro himself, he has held meetings with Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and with the country’s attorney general, Tarek William Saab.
“After this evaluation and this debate, the prosecutor has decided to go to the next phase to search for the truth. We respect his decision as a State, although we have told him that we do not share it, “Maduro said publicly.
“Venezuela considers that the complaints should be investigated in the country by the existing national institutions created for this purpose, highlighting that despite differences of opinion on this issue, the parties remain committed to actively collaborating with each other and supporting efforts beyond the principle of complementarity ”, the Government has indicated.
In February 2018, the ICC launched a preliminary examination against Venezuela for the alleged abuses committed by its security forces during protests against the government in 2017, as well as against some of the politicians who were imprisoned.
Khan assures that he plans to return to Venezuela soon, without specifying dates.
