Screenshot- human rights defender Eduardo Torres (Screenshot: NTN24/YouTube)
Government officials confirmed that human rights defender Eduardo Torres was in custody but have not provided any details on charges against him. (Screenshot: NTN24/YouTube)

CPJ calls on Venezuelan government to release human rights defender

CPJ and 24 other international press freedom groups, led by IFEX, signed an open letter urging the Venezuelan government to immediately release lawyer and human rights defender Eduardo Torres, a member of the Venezuelan Program for Human Rights Education-Action.

Government officials confirmed that Torres was detained May 13 but have since provided no information on the charges against him.

The letter calls on Venezuelan authorities to “guarantee that human rights defenders can carry out their work freely and safely, without fear of harassment, reprisals or imprisonment” and to allow Torres regular communication with family members and trusted lawyers.

Read the full letter in English here and Spanish here.