Venezuela to probe El Salvador's Bukele for ‘torture' of US deportees
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab made the announcement in Caracas on Monday, as he presented photos and testimonies of some of the men, who said they were beaten, sexually abused and fed rotten food while inside a notorious El Salvador prison.
Others were denied medical care or treated without anaesthesia, Saab said, urging the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the UN Human Rights Council to act.
The Venezuelans were sent to El Salvador from the US in March, after US President Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang without due process.
The deportations drew fierce criticism from human rights groups and a legal battle with the Trump administration. Family members and lawyers of many of the men deny they had gang ties.
Prisoner swap
The former detainees arrived near Caracas on Friday following their release in El Salvador, in exchange for 10 US citizens and political prisoners held in Venezuela.
Saab said the prosecutor's office was interviewing the returned migrants. Some of the former detainees have since reunited with their families, but they have not yet returned to their own homes.
Several had bruises on their bodies, marks of being shot with rubber bullets, and one had a split lip.
Andry Hernandez Romero, a 32-year-old beautician among those sent to El Salvador, said he barely survived the ordeal.
'We were going through torture, physical aggressions, psychological aggressions,' he said in a video presented by Saab. 'I was sexually abused.'
Others spoke of being held in 'inhuman cells', deprived of sunlight and ventilation, and given rotten food and unsafe drinking water while in the El Salvador prison.
The men had no access to lawyers or their relatives, and the last time many of them were seen was when Bukele's government issued photos of them arriving at the prison shackled and with their heads shorn.
Apart from Bukele, Venezuela will investigate El Salvador's Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro and Head of Prisons Osiris Luna Meza, Saab said.
Bukele's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the media. Late on Monday, Bukele posted about the return on social media but did not comment on the abuse allegations.
'The Maduro regime was satisfied with the swap deal; that's why they accepted it,' he said on X. 'Now they scream their outrage, not because they disagree with the deal but because they just realised they ran out of hostages from the most powerful country in the world.'
President Nicolas Maduro, on his TV show on Monday, claimed Bukele had tried 'last minute' to prevent the migrants from leaving.
'You could not stop the first plane, but for the second plane he put some car on the runway … to provoke either an accident or prevent them from leaving,' he said.
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado labelled the process as an 'exchange of prisoners of war' during a television interview on Monday.
Venezuela itself faces an investigation by the ICC in The Hague, with similar allegations of torturing prisoners and denying them access to legal representation of political prisoners.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
More than 1,400 killed in sectarian violence in coastal Syria, report finds
More than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, were killed in several days of sectarian violence in Syria's coastal regions earlier this year, a government committee tasked with investigating the attacks has found. The committee said it had identified 298 suspects implicated in serious violations during the violence in the country's Alawite heartland that left at least 1,426 members of the minority community dead in March. Tuesday's findings come after a new wave of violence involving the country's Druze community, raising further questions over the new government's ability to manage sectarian tensions and maintain security after the December overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad – himself an Alawite. The March violence took place in a predominantly Alawite region of Syria's coast, where government forces and allied groups were accused of carrying out summary executions, mostly targeting Alawite civilians, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights saying more than 1,700 people were killed. The committee's report said there was no evidence that Syria's military leadership ordered attacks on the Alawite community. The committee's investigation documented 'serious violations against civilians on March 7, 8 and 9, including murder, premeditated murder, looting, destruction and burning of homes, torture and sectarian insults', spokesman Yasser al-Farhan told a news conference in Damascus. The committee confirmed 'the names of 1,426 dead, including 90 women, with most of the rest being civilians' from the Alawite community, he said, adding that an unspecified number of further dead had not been verified. The investigation also 'identified 298 individuals by name' who were suspected of involvement in the violations, al-Farhan continued, describing the figure as provisional. These have been referred for prosecution, and 37 people have been arrested, officials told journalists. They didn't say how many suspects were members of security forces. 'Bigger than just violations' Authorities have accused gunmen loyal to al-Assad of instigating the violence, launching deadly attacks that killed dozens of security personnel. The committee said 238 members of the army and security forces were killed in the attacks in the provinces of Tartous, Latakia and Hama. About 200,000 pro-government military reinforcements then converged on the area, according to al-Farhan. Jana Mustafa, a 24-year-old student from Baniyas whose father was killed during the violence, said she had not been waiting for the report 'because the truth was clear to me'. 'The number of bodies, the mass graves and the screams of the victims were enough to clarify what happened,' she said, expressing disappointment that the committee's announcements appeared to include 'justifications for everything that happened'. 'The issue is bigger than just violations. It was directed against an entire sect,' she added. The committee said it based its report on more than 30 on-site visits, meetings with dozens of people in the towns and villages where violations occurred, and testimonies from hundreds of witnesses and victims. It also heard from government officials. Al-Farhan said the committee had identified people 'linked to certain military groups and factions' among those involved in the violence, adding it believed they 'violated military orders and are suspected of committing violations against civilians'. 'Disappointed and frustrated' Rama Hussein, 22, whose three sisters, two cousins and grandfather were killed in the Jableh region, said she was 'sad, disappointed and frustrated' with the committee. 'No one listened to my testimony, no one visited us – I don't know who this committee met or who they saw,' she said. 'I hope we see real accountability, not just reports and press conferences,' she said, calling for compensation for the families of those killed. Human rights groups and international organisations have said entire families were killed, including women, children and the elderly. Gunmen stormed homes and asked residents whether they were Alawite or Sunni before killing or sparing them, they said. Committee chairman Jumaa al-Anzi said authorities had been consulted to identify individuals who appeared in videos on social media documenting violations, and that some of them were included among the suspects. The body said two lists of people 'suspected of involvement in attacks or violations' had been referred to the judiciary. Al-Anzi, the committee's chair, said that 'we have no evidence that the [military] leaders gave orders to commit violations'. The presidency had said new Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa had received the committee's report on July 13, the same day that sectarian violence erupted in the Druze-majority province of Suwayda. Those clashes broke out between Sunni Muslim Bedouin clans and Druze armed groups, and government security forces who intervened to restore order. Druze armed groups launched revenge attacks on Bedouin communities. Hundreds have been killed, and the United Nations says more than 128,500 people have been displaced. The violence has largely stopped as a ceasefire takes hold. The committee chair said the violence in Suwayda is 'painful for all Syrians' but 'beyond the jurisdiction' of his committee. 'Time will reveal what happened and who is responsible for it,' he said.
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
The boy who bled to death as an Israeli soldier ‘celebrated his shot'
Sebastia, occupied West Bank – When Israeli military vehicles approach, news of the latest incursion begins cascading through Sebastia from one person to another, and the young people run home as fast as possible. They try to get back before invading soldiers reach their street, knowing all too well the potentially grave consequences if they don't. The warning cries often originate from those walking near the vantage point of Sebastia archaeological park's scenic summit. From here, people can spot army vehicles on the roads below before they reach the town and its ancient ruins, giving people a chance to hide their young. Soon after, walking prevention warnings are often circulated on social media, and the residents of Sebastia – once a religious pilgrimage site and a tourism hotspot – have the choice of hunkering down at home or facing soldiers who no longer show any restraint. 'He celebrated killing my son' In January this year, an Israeli soldier shot dead 14-year-old Ahmed Jazar and then raised his rifle in the air triumphantly after hitting the unarmed boy in the chest, piercing his heart. Witnesses saw the soldier 'celebrating' as Ahmed slowly bled to death on the ground, his father, Rashid, aged 57, told Al Jazeera. Ahmed was mature beyond his years, his parents say, and made caring for his poverty-stricken family his vocation. He was also a talented painter and wanted to train as a decorator. He aspired to open a shop so he could make enough money to buy his family a permanent home – something better than the overcrowded rental apartment they lived in. 'They shot Ahmed and killed all his dreams, right there and then,' his mother, Wafaa, said. 'The army treats us like we're in a state of war – but we've done nothing. 'Soldiers are here every day, and no one feels their children are safe unless they are at home.' Ahmed woke up in the early afternoon on the Sunday he was killed, Wafaa and Rashid say, having stayed up late playing with his friends in the neighbourhood the night before. He liked to play football in the schoolyard, cycle near the archaeological park, and eat at the town's once-busy cafes. He came back after seeing his friends and spent some time with his family, unaware that they would be sharing their final moments. Then, as the dinner hour neared, his parents sent Ahmed out to buy bread. 'It was always a habit of his to come and go in this way,' Rashid said. 'He was very sociable … everyone loved him. 'But this time, he left and never came back.' The Israeli soldiers' frequent raids on occupied West Bank towns prompt some children and young people into acts of defiance, like throwing stones towards the heavily armed soldiers or their armoured vehicles, or shining laser pointers at them. According to some neighbours, Ahmed and his friends did shine laser pens on the fatal January day, hiding behind a wall near a nursery as some soldiers walked towards them. His family denies Ahmed's part in this. Rashid and Wafaa said they were awaiting his return from the shops so they could eat dinner together. 'He was just a child,' Rashid said. 'The Israeli soldier knew he was a young boy – and that he was no threat to the army in any way. 'He was hundreds of metres away from them when they shot him!' The bullet-dented door and facade of the nursery, established by charity Save The Children, still stand as a reminder of what happened when Ahmed was shot dead. Speaking to Israeli newspaper Haaretz in March, a military spokesperson said: 'In the wake of the incident, an investigation was launched by the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division. Naturally, we cannot elaborate on an ongoing investigation.' Palestinians, including residents of Sebastia, say they are used to what they call 'sham' investigations that usually have no result, and almost certainly no punishment for perpetrators. Rashid was contacted by the military to provide information for the investigation into Ahmed's killing, but he refused. 'They killed my son and then call me to talk about justice?' he said. Al Jazeera sent written inquiries to Israeli authorities, asking for comment on the investigation into Ahmed's shooting but no response had been received by time of publication. The Israeli army often raids cities and towns in the West Bank, but few are targeted like Sebastia, where it has stepped up attacks since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu established his far-right ultranationalist government in late 2022. Since then, the military killed Fawzi Makhalfeh, aged 19, in July 2023, and Ahmed on January 19 this year. There have been at least 25 gunshot injuries in Sebastia since Netanyahu's coalition government came to power, a handful of which involved children. A 22-year-old man from the nearby town of Attil was shot in the chest while driving through Sebastia earlier this month. Violent settlers also wreak havoc on Palestinian landowners around the town, which is dependent on agriculture and tourism, and yet more settlements, official and unofficial, are set to be built around Sebastia. Soldiers attack anyone who fights back and circulate threatening messages using residents' mobile phones. One recording, heard by Al Jazeera, by what is ostensibly an Israeli soldier, accuses townspeople of being 'involved in terrorism', and warns they will 'pay the price'. Justice Wafaa and her husband sat on either side of a memorial to their slain son in the humble living room of the rented home they can barely afford. Ahmed left behind four brothers and three sisters aged between seven and 20. Rashid used to work as a painter in Israel, but, like thousands of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, he has been unable to go to work across the border since October 7, contributing to the family's perilous financial situation. The eldest son, Rushdi, 19, works as a carpenter intermittently, and, other than Rashid, is the only family member in employment. Ahmed had dropped out of school, they said, to help his father by doing odd jobs such as painting and olive picking to generate money for the family. Wafaa, who used to make dresses, is also unable to find work and still has five young children dependent on her care. Two of Ahmed's remaining siblings, Amir, aged six, and Adam, 11, clung on to their mother as she spoke. 'I sit by Ahmed's grave and cry for hours,' Wafaa told Al Jazeera, weeks after her son's killing. 'I cry there as much as I can, so that my children don't see me – I have to be strong for them.' The 40-year-old was incapable of keeping eye contact, as if tears would overcome her at any moment. She held up Ahmed's blood-stained clothes, torn by bullets. After the soldiers left that day, Rashid recalled rushing to the scene and pushing his way through a crowd, only to find Ahmed collapsed in a pool of blood, metres away from where he was shot. Rashid then drove with Ahmed to An-Najah Hospital in Nablus, but his son did not survive the journey. He was pronounced dead on arrival. His mother fell unconscious after hearing of Ahmed's killing, and says she awoke feeling 'defeated', as if her life was over. She says Israel wants Sebastia residents to feel this way, so they resist no longer and leave. Rashid, with a vacant expression, said his son's killing had terrorised his family into staying indoors – and when invasions take place, they lock their doors, hide in a back room, and turn off the lights. He says similar precautions are taken by many in Sebastia, who are 'living in fear' after his son's killing sent out a chilling message to those who call the ancient town home. 'The army comes here daily – and now we fear to go out,' Wafaa added. 'Soldiers are prepared to shoot children now. 'I let my son go to the shops, but I got him back [covered] in blood.'
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Al Jazeera
Venezuela to probe El Salvador's Bukele for ‘torture' of US deportees
Venezuela has launched an investigation into the role El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele and his senior officials played in the alleged torture of 252 migrants who were detained in the Central American country after being deported from the United States. Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab made the announcement in Caracas on Monday, as he presented photos and testimonies of some of the men, who said they were beaten, sexually abused and fed rotten food while inside a notorious El Salvador prison. Others were denied medical care or treated without anaesthesia, Saab said, urging the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the UN Human Rights Council to act. The Venezuelans were sent to El Salvador from the US in March, after US President Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang without due process. The deportations drew fierce criticism from human rights groups and a legal battle with the Trump administration. Family members and lawyers of many of the men deny they had gang ties. Prisoner swap The former detainees arrived near Caracas on Friday following their release in El Salvador, in exchange for 10 US citizens and political prisoners held in Venezuela. Saab said the prosecutor's office was interviewing the returned migrants. Some of the former detainees have since reunited with their families, but they have not yet returned to their own homes. Several had bruises on their bodies, marks of being shot with rubber bullets, and one had a split lip. Andry Hernandez Romero, a 32-year-old beautician among those sent to El Salvador, said he barely survived the ordeal. 'We were going through torture, physical aggressions, psychological aggressions,' he said in a video presented by Saab. 'I was sexually abused.' Others spoke of being held in 'inhuman cells', deprived of sunlight and ventilation, and given rotten food and unsafe drinking water while in the El Salvador prison. The men had no access to lawyers or their relatives, and the last time many of them were seen was when Bukele's government issued photos of them arriving at the prison shackled and with their heads shorn. Apart from Bukele, Venezuela will investigate El Salvador's Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro and Head of Prisons Osiris Luna Meza, Saab said. Bukele's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the media. Late on Monday, Bukele posted about the return on social media but did not comment on the abuse allegations. 'The Maduro regime was satisfied with the swap deal; that's why they accepted it,' he said on X. 'Now they scream their outrage, not because they disagree with the deal but because they just realised they ran out of hostages from the most powerful country in the world.' President Nicolas Maduro, on his TV show on Monday, claimed Bukele had tried 'last minute' to prevent the migrants from leaving. 'You could not stop the first plane, but for the second plane he put some car on the runway … to provoke either an accident or prevent them from leaving,' he said. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado labelled the process as an 'exchange of prisoners of war' during a television interview on Monday. Venezuela itself faces an investigation by the ICC in The Hague, with similar allegations of torturing prisoners and denying them access to legal representation of political prisoners.
