URGENT ACTION

DETAINEE INCOMMUNICADO 
Venezuelan opposition member of parliament Gilber Caro has been in incommunicado detention since 26 April 2019, putting his personal integrity at risk. Authorities denied having information on his fate and whereabouts since his detention by intelligence officers until 31 May. Gilber Caro was also arbitrarily detained from January 2017 until June 2018 under unfounded accusations of treason and stealing military equipment. His disappearance and incommunicado detention is arbitrary since it reverses the freedom he was granted in June. We call on the Director of the intelligence service (SEBIN) to swiftly allow access to Gilber Caro and to release him immediately.

TAKE ACTION: WRITE AN APPEAL IN YOUR OWN WORDS OR USE THIS MODEL LETTER

Mr. Gustavo González López
Director of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN)
Servicio Bolivariano de Inteligencia Nacional
Torre Corporativa Metro de Caracas
Avenida Casanova, Plaza Venezuela
Caracas 1050, Venezuela 
Dear Director,

I am alarmed by the incommunicado detention of member of parliament Gilber Caro since 26 April, after Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) officers took him in a restaurant in Caracas. Since the detention and later acknowledgement of his whereabouts, Gilber Caro’s lawyers have been repeatedly denied access and communication with him. Incommunicado detention for prolonged period of time can amount to torture under human rights law. The SEBIN must allow access Gilber Caro’s lawyers access to him, guarantee his personal integrity and release him immediately. 

I express my dismay for such a concerning situation to happen in your country and, as the authority in charge of ensuring the integrity and rights of anyone under SEBIN custody, I call on you to immediately grant Gilber Caro access to his lawyers and family and proceed with his release.

Yours sincerely,

Additional information
This week, the court finally told his lawyer that Gilber is inside the Caracas detention center “El Helicoide” but she is not allowed to see him.
Gilber Caro is a self-made activist for the rights of inmates, a political activist, and member of parliament for an opposition party.
On January 2017 he was detained by officers of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) while on his way to Caracas and was later charged with treason and stealing military weapons. Caro spent over a year in prison under those unfounded and politically motivated charges. He was conditionally released, however the court in charge of his case reversed this decision on 23 April 2019, although the decision was allegedly notified on 6 May 2019. The authorities still deny that he was arrested on 26 April, and his whereabouts and fate are still unknown.
Gilber Caro's previous arbitrary detention was documented by Amnesty International in its report Silenced by Force (see: www.amnesty.org/en/docuemnts/amr53/6014/2017/en/), and extensively campaigned for his and other 21 people’s release.
An unprecedented human rights crisis in Venezuela has been deepening since 2014, with authorities responding to claims for change and respect of their human rights with extrajudicial killings, abusive use of force and arbitrary detentions of those who protest and dissent, including political leaders and, as in this case, members of parliament without fulfilling the requirements for lifting the constitutionally granted parliamentary immunity.
PREFERRED LANGUAGE TO ADDRESS TARGET: Spanish. You can also write in your own language.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: 18 July 2019
Please check with the Amnesty office in your country if you wish to send appeals after the deadline.

NAME AND PREFFERED PRONOUN: Gilber Caro (He, His, Him)

LINK TO PREVIOUS UA: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/amr53/0281/2019/en/

 Additional TARGETS

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. HER EXCELLENCY MRS ROCÍO MANEIRO Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela 1 Cromwell Road SW7 2HW 020 7584 4206 or 020 7581 2776 Fax 020 7589 8887 ambassador@venezlon.co.uk www.reinounido.embajada.gob.ve Please check with your section before sending appeals after the above date.