Foro Penal

Foro Penal is constituted as a civil association composed of regional coordinators for each state in Venezuela, pro bono lawyers on a national level and a network of over five thousand volunteers, non-lawyer activists, known as "active defensors". The directive board is made up of Alfredo Romero, director president, Gonzalo Himiob, director vicepresident.{{cite web|title=¿Qué es el Foro Penal?|url=https://foropenal.com/nosotros/|publisher=Foro Penal|access-date=28 June 2019}}

The organization publishes reports documenting the number of arbitrary detentions and political prisoners in Venezuela, figures that are certified by the Organization of American States.{{Cite web|url=https://www.libertaddigital.com/internacional/latinoamerica/2017-08-09/los-asesinatos-violaciones-y-torturas-de-la-dictadura-chavista-en-venezuela-1276604096/|title=Los asesinatos, violaciones y torturas de la dictadura chavista en Venezuela|access-date=2021-10-31|last=Llamas|first=M.|date=2017-08-09|website=Libertad Digital|language=es-ES}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.diariodenavarra.es/noticias/actualidad/internacional/2017/08/01/los-detenidos-venezuela-desde-que-empezaron-las-protestas-superan-los-000-544256-1032.html|title=Los detenidos en Venezuela desde que empezaron las protestas superan los 5.000|access-date=2021-10-31|date=2017-08-01|website=Diario de Navarra}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.prensa.com/mundo/Regimen-Daniel-Ortega-Nicolas-Maduro_0_5170732890.html|title=Daniel Ortega tiene el doble de presos políticos que Nicolás Maduro|access-date=2021-10-31|date=2018-11-17|website=La Prensa Panamá}}

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Lawyers Alfredo Romero and Gonzalo Himiob founded the non-governmental organization Víctimas Venezolanas de Violaciones a los Derechos Humanos (VIVE) as a response to human rights violations that occurred after the Llaguno Overpass events in Caracas on 11 April 2002. Lawyers Carlos Bastidas Espinoza and {{ill|Mónica Fernández (lawyer)|es|Mónica Fernández|lt=Mónica Fernández}}, among others, founded the NGO Foro Penal Venezolano,{{cite news|date=16 April 2011|title=La juez forzada a renunciar|work=Semana|url=https://www.semana.com/arcadia/reportaje/recuadro/la-juez-forzada-renunciar/275451-3|access-date=30 June 2019|archive-date=1 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101055324/https://www.semana.com/arcadia/reportaje/recuadro/la-juez-forzada-renunciar/275451-3/|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|last=Damiano|first=Daniela|date=23 January 2018|title=FORO PENAL BRINDA APOYO JURÍDICO A PERSONAS DETENIDAS ARBITRARIAMENTE|work=Amnesty International|url=https://www.amnistia.org/ve/blog/2018/01/4623/foro-penal-brinda-apoyo-juridico-a-personas-detenidas-arbitrariamente|access-date=30 June 2019}} and both organizations would later merge to create Foro Penal.{{cite web|title=Antecedentes {{!}} Foro Penal Venezolano|url=https://foropenal.com/antecedentes|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903233859/https://foropenal.com/antecedentes|archive-date=3 September 2017|website=Foro Penal|language=es |accessdate=16 October 2021}} The Penal Forum was the first organization to go to the newly founded International Criminal Court to denounce that crimes against humanity were being committed in Venezuela.{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-ZgEZoJG6g |title=Que Se Haga Justicia (documental corto)|author=Foro Penal|date=14 December 2018 |website=YouTube}}

In 2008, the organization asked the Supreme Tribunal of Justice to nullify the Military Intelligence and Counterintelligence Law, popularly known as the Snitch Law, which established as compulsory for any person to comply with intelligence tasks if requested by the authorities.{{Cite web |url=https://www.emol.com/noticias/internacional/2008/06/10/308011/hugo-chavez-deroga-polemica-ley-sapo-en-venezuela.html |title=Hugo Chávez deroga polémica "ley sapo" en Venezuela|access-date=2021-10-16|date=2008-06-10 |website=Emol|language=es}}{{Cite news|title=Chávez deroga la "ley espía" |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_7447000/7447454.stm|date=2008-06-11|access-date=2021-10-16}}

During the {{Interlanguage link|2009 Venezuelan student hunger strike|lt=student hunger strike in 2009|es|Huelga de hambre de estudiantes en Venezuela de 2009}}, Foro Penal assumed the defense of that year's 47 political prisoners and requested the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to "verify the situation of abuses and illegalities in the cases of those detained, prosecuted and persecuted for their political position". Alfredo Romero, spokesman for the organization, informed that Venezuela was the only Latin American country that refused to receive the IACHR along with Cuba.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/internacional/2009/09/30/huelga-hambre-venezuela-permitan-evaluar-respeto-derechos-humanos/0003_8004683.htm|title=Huelga de hambre en Venezuela para que permitan evaluar el respeto de los derechos humanos|access-date=2021-06-16|date=2009-09-30|website=La Voz de Galicia}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.abc.es/internacional/abci-estudiantes-huelga-hambre-presos-politicos-venezuela-200909250300-103123272537_noticia.html |title=Estudiantes en huelga de hambre por los presos políticos en Venezuela|access-date=2021-06-16|date=2009-09-25|website=ABC}} Foro Penal estimated that by that time 2,200 people had been charged for participating in protests, including 500 students.

Foro Penal estimated that between 4 February and 22 October 2014, there were 3383 arbitrary arrests related to protests in the country.{{Cite web|url=https://foropenal.com/detenciones-arbitrarias-torturas-y-otros-tratos-crueles-inhumanos-y-degradantes-febrerooctubre-2014/ |title=Detenciones arbitrarias, torturas y otros tratos crueles, inhumanos y degradantes ( febrero/octubre 2014)|access-date=2021-10-28 |date=2014-11-30|website=Foro Penal|language=es-ES}} The organization also denounced and documented torture during the protests, including beatings and electric shocks.{{Cite news|title=Estudiantes venezolanos detenidos habrían sufrido torturas, según abogada del Foro Penal Venezolano|url=http://www.ntn24.com/videos/estudiantes-venezolanos-detenidos-habrian-sufrido-tortura-segun-abogada-del-foro-penal-venezolano |access-date=13 April 2014|work=NTN24|date=16 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414172429/http://www.ntn24.com/videos/estudiantes-venezolanos-detenidos-habrian-sufrido-tortura-segun-abogada-del-foro-penal-venezolano|archive-date=14 April 2014}}{{Cite news|title=Foro Penal denuncia torturas con descargas eléctricas a mujeres en los senos|url=http://caraotadigital.net/articledetail.asp?art=1930902|access-date=13 April 2014|newspaper=Carota Digital|date=12 April 2014|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140413213729/http://caraotadigital.net/articledetail.asp?art=1930902|archive-date=13 April 2014}}{{Cite news|title=En video: Foro Penal denuncia en CNN torturas con descargas eléctricas en Táchira |url=http://yoyopress.com/2014/04/12/deplorable-en-video-foro-penal-denuncia-en-cnn-torturas-con-descargas-electricas-en-tachira/|access-date=13 April 2014|newspaper=YoYo Press|date=13 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414141911/http://yoyopress.com/2014/04/12/deplorable-en-video-foro-penal-denuncia-en-cnn-torturas-con-descargas-electricas-en-tachira/|archive-date=14 April 2014}} By the end of April of that year it had documented 70 cases of abuse against detainees; Gonzalo Himiob stated that the abuses were continuous and systematic, and that the mistreatment of prisoners was very similar in all parts of the country.{{Cite news|last=Neuman|first=William|title=In Venezuela, Protesters Point to Their Scars |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/28/world/americas/in-venezuela-protesters-point-to-their-scars.html?_r=0|access-date=28 April 2014|work=The New York Times|date=27 April 2014}} Due to the "meticulous" documentation of human rights violations committed during the 2014 protests and for showing them to the international community, the United States Department of State awarded its annual Human Rights Defender Award to Foro Penal.{{Cite web|url=https://foropenal.com/eeuu-premia-a-foro-penal-por-mostrar-violaciones-de-derechos-en-venezuela/|title=EEUU premia a Foro Penal por "mostrar violaciones" de derechos en Venezuela|access-date=2021-10-31|date=2015-07-16|website=Foro Penal|language=es-ES}} By this date the NGO had a national network of more than 200 pro bono lawyers and 1 000 human rights activists.{{Cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/07/245023.htm|title=Winners of the 2014 Human Rights Awards|access-date=2021-10-31|website=United States Department of State}} Foro Penal has also represented Marvinia Jiménez, who was attacked by officers of the Bolivarian National Guard that year.{{Cite news|url=https://www.el-carabobeno.com/marvinia-jimenez-despues-tres-anos-la-represion-volvio-vida/|title=Marvinia Jiménez: "Después de tres años la represión volvió a mi vida"|date=2017-05-30|access-date=2018-06-01|language=es-ES}}

The NGO requested precautionary protection measures before the IACHR in favor of Lorent Saleh and Gerardo Carrero, imprisoned in the Bolivarian Intelligence Service's La Tumba, asking the organization to require the Venezuelan government to protect their life and personal integrity. The IACHR granted these measures on 2 March 2015.{{Cite news|last=|first=|title=CIDH dictó medidas cautelares de protección a favor de estudiantes Saleh y Carrero|url=http://www.el-nacional.com/noticias/mundo/cidh-dicto-medidas-cautelares-proteccion-favor-estudiantes-saleh-carrero_63931|date=3 March 2015|access-date=3 January 2018|publisher=El Nacional|page=}}{{Cite news|last=|first=|title=CIDH concede medidas cautelares a Lorent Saleh y Gerardo Carrero |url=http://www.elimpulso.com/noticias/nacionales/cidh-concede-medidas-cautelares-a-lorent-saleh-y-gerardo-carrero|date=3 March 2015|access-date=3 January 2018|publisher=El Impulso|page=}}

File:Venezuela's_arbitrary_detentions_per_Foro_Penal.png

In 2017, Foro Penal published a joint report with Human Rights Watch documenting arbitrary detentions, torture, and excessive use of force during the 2017 Venezuelan protests.{{cite book|author=Human Rights Watch|author-link=Human Rights Watch|title=Crackdown on Dissent. Brutality, Torture, and Political Persecution in Venezuela|chapter-url=https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/venezuela1117web_0.pdf |year=2017|isbn=978-1-62313-549-2|page=61|language=en|chapter=5 |author2=Foro Penal|publisher=Human Rights Watch }} Between January 1 and October 31, the organization documented 5,511 arrests for political purposes, the highest number of detainees in a year.{{Cite web|url=https://foropenal.com/foro-penal-2017-ano-record-represion-venezuela/|title=Foro Penal: 2017 año récord de represión en Venezuela|access-date=2021-10-28|date=2018-01-11 |website=Foro Penal|language=es-ES}} A report prepared by the organization along with the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights documented that 200 cases of enforced disappearances in 2018 increased to 524 in 2019, attributed to an increase in protests. The analysis concluded that the average disappearance lasted five days, suggesting that the government wanted to avoid the scrutiny that could come with large-scale, long-term detentions.{{Cite news|last1=Turkewitz|first1=Julie|last2=Kurmanaev|first2=Anatoly |date=2020-06-19|title=A Knock, Then Gone: Venezuela Secretly Detains Hundreds to Silence Critics|language=en-US|work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/19/world/americas/venezuela-forced-disappearances-Maduro.html|access-date=2020-06-20|issn=0362-4331}}{{cite report|url=https://foropenal.com/reporte-sobre-la-represion-en-venezuela-ano-2019/|title=Reporte Sobre La Represión En Venezuela. Año 2019|page=13|language=es|author1=Foro Penal|date=23 January 2020|access-date=1 February 2020}}

Among the political prisoners represented by Foro Penal are Alejandro Peña Esclusa,{{Cite web|url=http://www.laverdad.com/detnotic.php?CodNotic=37828|title=Dictan medida privativa de libertad a Peña Esclusa|access-date=2021-10-31|date=2011-07-16|website=La Verdad|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716152422/http://www.laverdad.com/detnotic.php?CodNotic=37828|archive-date=2011-07-16}} Lorent Saleh, Karen Palacios{{Cite news|last=Noriega|first=Nadeska|title=Clarinetista cumple 43 días detenida en la Dgcim por su postura política|url=https://elpitazo.net/gran-caracas/clarinetista-detenida-dgcim-postura-politica/|date=13 July 2019|access-date=14 July 2019|publisher=El Pitazo}} and Salvador Franco,{{Cite web |url=https://www.infobae.com/america/venezuela/2021/01/03/el-preso-politico-indigena-salvador-franco-murio-por-desnutricion-y-falta-de-atencion-medica-en-una-carcel-del-regimen-de-maduro/|title=El preso político indígena Salvador Franco murió por falta de atención médica en una cárcel del régimen de Maduro|access-date=2021-10-31|last=|first=|date=3 January 2021|website=infobae}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.elnacional.com/venezuela/foro-penal-fallecio-en-el-rodeo-ii-el-preso-politico-pemon-salvador-franco/|title=Foro Penal: Falleció en El Rodeo II el preso político pemón Salvador Franco|access-date=2021-10-31|date=2021-01-03|website=El Nacional}} among others. In 2018 Foro Penal released a documentary on the history of the organization, "Que se haga justicia. La historia del Foro Penal en Venezuela" ({{Literal translation|Let Justice Be Done. The History of Foro Penal in Venezuela.}}).{{Cite web |url=http://www.venezuelanpress.com/2018/12/07/la-historia-del-foro-penal-en-madrid/|title=Venezuelan Press » La historia del Foro Penal en Madrid|access-date=2021-10-31|last=D'Ambrosio|first=Linda|website=Venezuelan Press|language=es-ES}}

By 2021, both Alfredo Romero and Gonzalo Himiob were accredited as counsel at the International Criminal Court.{{Cite web|url=https://www.icc-cpi.int/about/registry/Pages/list-of-counsel.aspx|title=Registry|access-date=2021-10-30|website=Corte Penal Internacional|archive-date=2016-08-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812212858/https://www.icc-cpi.int/about/registry/Pages/list-of-counsel.aspx|url-status=dead}}

In 2008, Mónica Fernández suffered an attack in which she was shot in the back. Despite being shot very close to her spine she did not suffer major injuries.{{cite news|title=Monica Fernández abogada del Foro Penal Venezolano sufre atentado.|url=https://foropenal.com/monica-fernandez-abogada-del-foro-penal-venezolano-sufre-atentado/|date=5 January 2008|access-date=30 June 2019|work=Foro Penal}}

Alfredo Romero has been criminalized several times by state officials and in media programs, particularly in Diosdado Cabello's Con El Mazo Dando, has received death threats, has been harassed in national airports and has denounced the intervention of Foro Penal's communications without a warrant. Romero has a cautelary protection measure issued by the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights in 17 March 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.defiendoddhh.org/alfredo-romero/|title=ALFREDO ROMERO |access-date=30 June 2019|website=Defiendo DDHH|date=26 May 2016}}

During a 2017 interview by Spanish journalist {{ill|Jordi Évole|es}} in the program Salvados, Nicolás Maduro accused Foro Penal of being financed by the United States, as well as other organizations such as Transparency International and Caritas, and of being "directed by delinquents".{{cite news|last=Lozano|first=Daniel|title=Salvados: la entrevista más perseguida de Jordi Évole no atrapó a Nicolás Maduro|url=https://www.elmundo.es/television/2017/11/12/5a08ce7946163f993d8b45f8.html|date=13 November 2017|access-date=30 June 2019|work=El Mundo}}{{cite news|title=Maduro responde a las acusaciones de tener presos políticos: "En Venezuela hay políticos que han cometido delitos"|url=https://www.lasexta.com/programas/salvados/mejores-momentos/maduro-responde-a-las-acusaciones-de-tener-presos-politicos-en-venezuela-hay-politicos-que-han-cometido-delitos_201711125a08b15b0cf2018c196733fa.html|access-date=30 June 2019|work=La Sexta}}

Foro Penal has been awarded several times both in Venezuela and abroad, including the award given by the United States government in July 2015, the condecoration to Foro Penal in Zulia state by the State Lawyers Association in August 2015 and the award given by the Barcelona Lawyers Association, Spain, in February 2016. The organization's director, Alfredo Romero, was awarded the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award in 2017. The organization has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015, 2016 and 2019.{{cite web |url=https://www.lapatilla.com/site/2015/02/22/foro-penal-venezolano-nominado-al-premio-nobel-de-la-paz/|title=Foro Penal Venezolano, nominado al Premio Nobel de la Paz|access-date=5 April 2018|date=22 February 2015|website=La Patilla}}{{cite news|title=Foro Penal Venezolano nominado al Premio Nobel de la Paz - El Carabobeño|url=http://www.el-carabobeno.com/Foro-Penal-Venezolano-nominado-al-Premio-Nobel-de-la-Paz/ |date=4 October 2016|access-date=5 April 2018|work=El Carabobeño|language=es-ES}}{{Cite web |date=2019-09-24 |title=Foro Penal fue nominado al Premio Nobel de la Paz |url=https://vpitv.com/lo-ultimo/ultimas_noticias_sobre_venezuela/foro-penal-fue-nominado-al-premio-nobel-de-la-paz/ |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=VPItv |language=es}} In 2023, the organization was received the Defender of the Year Award from Civil Rights Defenders.{{Cite web |date=2023-04-26 |title=Foro Penal gana prestigioso premio sueco Civil Rights Defenders por su labor en DDHH |url=https://elestimulo.com/venezuela/2023-04-26/foro-penal-gana-prestigioso-premio-sueco-civil-rights-defenders-por-su-labor-en-ddhh/ |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=El Estímulo |language=es}}

• Revolving door effect
• PROVEA
• Un Mundo Sin Mordaza
• Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict
• International Criminal Court investigation in Venezuela

{{reflist}}

• [https://foropenal.com/ Official website]

Category:Organizations established in 2005

Category:Human rights organizations based in Venezuela

Category:2014 Venezuelan protests

Category:2017 Venezuelan protests