Police and Roma and Sinti: Good Practices in Building Trust and Understanding

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Police and Roma and Sinti: Good Practices in Building Trust and Understanding Police and Roma and Sinti: Good Practices in Building Trust and Understanding SPMU Publication Series Vol. 9 The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) works for stability, prosperity and democracy in 56 States through political dialogue about shared values and through practical work that makes a lasting difference. Vienna, April 2010 © OSCE 2010 All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may be freely used and copied for educational and other non-commercial purposes, provided that any such reproduction is accompanied by an acknowledgement of the OSCE as the source. ISBN 978-92-9234-509-9 Strategic Police Matters Contact Point for Roma and Office of the Secretary General Sinti Issues OSCE Secretariat OSCE ODIHR Wallnerstrasse 6, Al. Ujazdowskie 19 1010 Vienna, Austria 00-557 Warsaw, Poland Tel: +43-1 514 36 6942 Tel: +48-22 5200 798 Fax: +43-1 514 36 6266 Fax: +48-22 5200 605 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] http://www.osce.org/policing http://www.osce.org/odihr/18148.html http://polis.osce.org 2 Table of Contents Abbreviations and Acronyms .................................................................6 Glossary / Clarification of Terms............................................................7 Preface..................................................................................................9 Acknowledgements .............................................................................11 Executive Summary.............................................................................15 I. Introduction.................................................................................23 II. The Safety and Security Situation of Roma and Sinti in the OSCE Area.................................................................................29 II.1 Racial Discrimination, Hate-Motivated Incidents and Hate Crime..................................................................................29 II.2 Challenging Relations between the Police and Roma and Sinti ..31 II.2.1 Examples of under-policing ..........................................32 II.2.2 Examples of over-policing.............................................33 II.3 The Quest for Improved Policing of Roma and Sinti Communities.......................................................................34 III. Good Practices in Building Trust and Understanding between the Police and Roma and Sinti....................................................41 III.1 Systematic Assessment of Policing Policy and Practice Relating to Roma and Sinti .......................................................................42 III.1.1 Establishing the policy framework:................................43 III.1.2 Identifying the scope of the assessment .......................45 III.1.3 Identifying the standards...............................................46 III.1.4 Obtaining the evidence.................................................46 3 III.1.5 Assessing the gaps ......................................................48 III.1.6 Developing an action plan ............................................49 III.2. Development of Legislation, Policies, Codes of Ethics and Conduct, and Standard Operating Procedures............................51 III.2.1 Development of legislation ...........................................51 III.2.2 Development of policies ...............................................52 III.2.3 Development of codes of ethics and conduct and standard operating procedures .............................56 III.2.4 Implementation of policies, codes of conduct and standard operating procedures .............................60 III.3 Human Resource Management ..................................................61 III.3.1 Recruitment..................................................................62 III.3.2 Retention......................................................................68 III.3.3 Promotion and career development..............................69 III.4 Training and Professional Development......................................72 III.4.1 Aim and objectives of training.......................................73 III.4.2 Content of training with regard to Roma and Sinti communities .................................................................74 III.4.3 Training methods..........................................................80 III.4.4 Requirements of implementation..................................82 III.5 Engaging with Roma and Sinti Communities: .............................84 III.5.1 Building partnerships....................................................86 III.5.2 Conducting police operations .......................................95 III.5.3 Ensuring accountability with regard to police actions..106 IV. Conclusions and Recommendations.........................................108 V. References ...............................................................................111 V.1 International Documents...........................................................111 V.2 Bibliography..............................................................................115 4 VI. Appendices...............................................................................125 Appendix 1: Examples of International Initiatives and Instruments to Address the Security Situation of Roma and Sinti .....................125 Appendix 2: Systematic Assessment of Policing Policy and Practice Relating to Roma: Guidance for Use in OSCE Participating States........................131 Appendix 3: Generic Policy Screening Framework ............................139 Appendix 4: The Stop Form Used in Fuenlabrada, Spain. .................140 5 Abbreviations and Acronyms CAG Citizens Advisory Group CPRSI Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues CSAT Community Safety Action Team CSCE Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe ECHR European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms ECRI European Commission against Racism and Intolerance ECHR European Convention on Human Rights ECtHR European Court of Human Rights EPPHR European Platform for Policing and Human Rights ERPC European Roma Policy Coalition ERRC European Roma Rights Centre EU European Union EU-MIDIS European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey FAERLEO Fraternal Association of European Roma Law Enforcement Officers FRA Fundamental Rights Agency HCNM High Commissioner on National Minorities ICITAP International Criminal Investigations Assistance Training Program IDP Internally Displaced Person MIA Ministry of Interior and Administration MoI Ministry of the Interior MoU Memorandum of Understanding NGO Non-Governmental Organization ODIHR Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights OSCE Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe PER Project on Ethnic Relations SARA Scanning, Analysis, Response, Assessment SPMU Strategic Police Matters Unit STEPSS Strategies for Effective Police Stop and Search UN United Nations 6 Glossary / Clarification of Terms Roma and Sinti: In line with OSCE practice, this book uses the term “Roma and Sinti”. The Council of Europe uses the term “Roma and Travellers”, whereas the European Union uses “Roma”. These terms are all-encompassing for other generic terms with which Roma and Sinti are often associated with, such as “Gypsies” and derivations of the term “Tsigane”. Where country specific examples are given, the terms used are those particular to the group’s preferred term in the respective country. Ethnic profiling: “Ethnic profiling” is defined as when police officers, with no objective and reasonable justification, use the characteristics of race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin rather than behaviour as the basis for making decisions about who has been or may be involved in criminal activity when they conduct search and control, surveillance or investigation activities. (Cf. Open Society Institute, Addressing Ethnic Profiling by Police. A Report on the Strategies for Effective Police Stop and Search Project, New York 2009, p. 9; and European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), ECRI General Policy Recommendation No. 11 on Combating Racism and Racial Discrimination in Policing, CRI(2007)39, Strasbourg 2007, Para. 1). Hate crime: This is a criminal offence committed with a bias motive. This means that the perpetrator intentionally chose the target of the crime because of some protected characteristic. The target may be one or more people, or it may be property associated with a group that shares a particular characteristic. A protected characteristic is a characteristic shared by a group, such as “race”, language, religion, ethnicity, nationality, or any other similar common factor. (Source: OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Hate Crime Laws: A Practical Guide, Warsaw 2009, p.16). Hate-motivated incidents: These are defined as “[i]ncidents, acts or manifestations of intolerance committed with a bias motive that may not reach the threshold of hate crimes, either because criminal offense was not proven or because the act may not have been criminal offense under a particular state’s legislation.” (Source: OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Hate Crime Report 2008, Warsaw 2009, p. 11). 7 Over-policing: “Over-policing” occurs when greater attention is given to crimes allegedly committed by members of particular minority communities or ethnic groups, or when powers are used more harshly against such persons. (Cf. Oakley, Robin, “Police Training Concerning Migrants and National
Recommended publications
  • Report Submitted by the Romanian Authorities on Measures
    Committee of the Parties to the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings CP(2017)32 Report submitted by the Romanian authorities on measures taken to comply with Committee of the Parties Recommendation CP(2016)11 on the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings Second evaluation round Received on 3 November 2017 Ce document n’est disponible qu’en anglais et roumain. Secretariat of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings 2 CP(2017)32 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Romanian Report regarding the accomplishment of the Recommendation CP(2016)11 on the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings ABBREVIATIONS ANITP National Agency against Trafficking in Persons BCCO Brigade for Countering Organized Crime C.P/C.p Criminal Code C.P.P/C.p.p Criminal Procedure Code DCCO Directorate for Countering Organized Crime DGASPC Directorate General for Social Assistance and Child Protection DIICOT Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism IGI Inspectorate General for Immigration IGJR Inspectorate General of the Romanian Gendarmerie IGPF Inspectorate General for Boarder Police IM Labour Inspection ISOP Institute for Education MAI Ministry of Internal Affairs MMJS Ministry of Labour and Social Justice MNIR National Mechanism for Identification and Referral MP Public Ministry OUG Government
    [Show full text]
  • Port Popular Şi Uniformă a Statului Într-Un Portret De Nuntă Din Anii 1950-1952
    Port popular şi uniformă a statului într-un portret de nuntă din anii 1950-1952 Nicolae Adrian ALEXE* Between 2nd July and 4th August 2013, ASTRA National Museum was the host ofthe temporary exhibition cal/ed "Mărginimea Sibiului", which was created in collaboration with Mr. Laurent Chrzanovski, PhD. One ofthe exhibits was a weddingportrait (drawing after a photo), created in Sibiu Sourroundings or in Loamneş (in Sibiu county), representing a militsiyaman holding the rank of sergeant (a non-commisioned officer) ofmilitsiya (Romanian police during the communist regime), in his uniform, along with his bride, who was wearing a traditional folk costume, which portrait is the topic of the article. Jt analyses the significance of the two costumes, it's describing the bride's traditional romanian costume and the costum of the militsiyaman, analysing all the details of the uniform. With its help, the photo can be placed between 23th October 1950 and 23thAugust 1952. The article is thefirst paper in the uniform area, because the description ofthe romanian militsiya uniform wasn 't the topic for a scientific paper until now. Alsa, the article is a challenge for starting new research topics in Open A ir MuseumASTRA. Keywords: wedding, folk costume, uniform, Militsiya, sergeant Cuvinte cheie: nuntă , costum popular, uniformă, miliţie, sergent În perioada 2 iulie - 4 august 2013, Complexul Naţional Muzeal ASTRA a găzduit în Casa Hermes din Piaţa Mică expoziţia temporară „Mărginimea Sibiului'', realizată în colaborare cu dl. dr. Laurent Chrzanovski. Unul dintre exponate a fost un portret (desen efectuat după o fotografie) de nuntă, realizat în Mărginimea Sibiului sau în Loamneş (judeţul Sibiu), datând de la mijlocului secolului trecut, reprezentând un mire - miliţian cu proaspăta nevastă, în costum popular ( fig.1 ), portret ce constituie subiectul prezentului articol.
    [Show full text]
  • POLICE FORCES to the BORDER! HUNGARY COMES FULL CIRCLE on OPEN BORDERS by John R
    JUNE 2015 POLICE FORCES TO THE BORDER! HUNGARY COMES FULL CIRCLE ON OPEN BORDERS By John R. Haines John R. Haines is a Senior Fellow of the Foreign Policy Research Institute and Executive Director of FPRI's Princeton Committee. Much of his current research is focused on Russia and its near abroad, with a special interest in nationalist and separatist movements. As a private investor and entrepreneur, he is currently focused on the question of nuclear smuggling and terrorism, and the development of technologies to discover, detect, and characterize concealed fissile material. He is also a Trustee of FPRI. For other nations, their land has fixed boundaries. For Rome, its boundaries are the boundaries of the Roman world.1 So, too, it seems, for the nations of the European Community, and for the Community itself. And that is the basis of the immigration crisis now raging in Hungary. When the Berlin Wall fell on 9 November 1989—Der Mauerfall to Germans—it set the two Germanys on a course to reunification eleven months later. It was in Hungary, however, where “the first stone was knocked out of the wall,” declared Helmut Kohl. In June 1989 Hungarian foreign minister Gyula Horn and his Austrian counterpart, Alois Mock used wire cutters to cut a symbolic section of the barbed wire fence separating their two countries. The next month, a small group of Hungarian dissidents and Austrian politicians organized what they intended would be a symbolic border opening outside the Hungarian border village of Sopronpuszta. The opening became more than symbolic: within a few hours, some 600 East Germans passed through a simple wooden gate into Austria.
    [Show full text]
  • UNODC Ethiopia Annual Progress Report 2020
    2020 Annual Progress Report • 1 Contents Contents 2 Abbreviations 3 1. Summary and Context of the Action 4 1.1. Project Objective 4 1.2. Contextual Analysis 4 1.3. Key Partners 6 1.4. Results Snapshot: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning 6 2. Summary of Achievements 7 3. Results achieved and activities undertaken 9 3.1. Criminal Justice and Integrity 10 3.2. Transnational Organised Crime 23 3.3. Transformation, Peace and Security 26 3.4. Violence against Women and Children 28 3.5. Youth Engagement 30 3.6. Certificates of Achievement 31 3.7. From crisis to recovery: UNODC Ethiopia joins the global Jerusalema Challenge 32 3.8. Donor Outreach 33 4. Challenges and Opportunities 33 5. Meet the Team 34 6. Acknowledgements 38 7. Donor Information 39 Annexes Annex 1: Programme Results 40 Annex 2: Unofficial Data Released Prisoners as part of COVID response 47 Annex 3: 2021 Training Schedule 49 2 • 2020 Annual Progress Report Abbreviations AACRRC Addis Ababa Children’s Rehabilitation and Remand Center BMM Better Migration Management FDRE Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia FOAG Federal Office of the Attorney General GBV Gender Based Violence GIZ Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit ICTS Information and Communications Technology Systems IEC Information, Education and Communication IOM International Organisation for Migration MOP Ministry of Peace OHCHR Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights ROEA Regional Office for Eastern Africa SoM Smuggling of Migrants TiP Trafficking in Persons UNAIDS Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime UNWomen United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women VAWG Violence Against Women and Girls VAC Violence Against Children VAWC Violence Against Women and Children 2020 Annual Progress Report • 3 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Border Management Reform in Transition Democracies
    Border Management Reform in Transition Democracies Editors Aditya Batara G Beni Sukadis Contributors Pierre Aepli Colonel Rudito A.A. Banyu Perwita, PhD Zoltán Nagy Lieutenant-Colonel János Hegedűs First Edition, June 2007 Layout Front Cover Lebanese-Israeli Borders Downloaded from: www.michaelcotten.com Printed by Copyright DCAF & LESPERSSI, 2007 The Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces FOREWORD Suripto, SH Vice Chairman of 3rd Commission, Indonesian House of Representatives And Chariman of Lesperssi Founder Board Border issues have been one of the largest areas of concern for Indonesia. Since becoming a sovereign state 61 years ago, Indonesia is still facing a series of territorial border problems. Up until today, Indonesia has reached agreements with its neighbouring countries related to demarcation and state border delineation. However, the lack of an unequivocal authority for border management has left serious implications for the state’s sovereignty and its citizen’s security. The Indonesian border of today, is still having to deal with border crime, which includes the violation of the territorial border, smuggling and terrorist infiltration, illegal fishing, illegal logging and Human Rights violations. These kinds of violations have also made a serious impact on the state’s sovereignty and citizen’s security. As of today, Indonesia still has an ‘un-settled’ sea territory, with regard to the rights of sovereignty (Additional Zone, Economic Exclusive Zone, and continent plate). This frequently provokes conflict between the authorised sea-territory officer on patrol and foreign ships or fishermen from neighbouring countries. One of the principal border problems is the Sipadan-Ligitan dispute between Indonesia and Malaysia, which started in 1969.
    [Show full text]
  • Romania Page 1 of 20
    2004 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Romania Page 1 of 20 Romania Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2004 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor February 28, 2005 Romania is a constitutional democracy with a multiparty, bicameral parliamentary system, a prime minister who is the head of government, and a president who is the head of state. Traian Basescu was elected President on December 12 in elections characterized by irregularities, but which were judged generally free and fair. At year's end, Basescu appointed center-right a Liberal-Democratic (PNL-PD) Alliance leader, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, as Prime Minister to lead a new government composed primarily of the PNL-PD, the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), and the Romanian Humanist Party (PUR). This followed four years of government led by Social Democratic Party (PSD) Prime Minister Adrian Nastase and President Ion Iliescu. The Constitution provides for an independent judiciary; however, in practice, the judiciary remained subject to political influence. Widespread corruption remained a problem, although the Government took initial, but only partial, steps to address the problem. The National Police are primarily responsible for law enforcement, the Gendarmerie for preserving public order, and the Border Police for maintaining border security. The Ministry of Administration and Interior (MOAI) supervises these organizations. The military has primary responsibility for protection against external threats. An internal intelligence service assesses threats to national security but has no law enforcement powers. Civilian authorities maintained effective control of security and intelligence organizations, although some concerns were expressed regarding the possible misuse of intelligence agencies for political purposes.
    [Show full text]
  • Policing the Pandemic
    Funded by the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme of the European Union Policing the Pandemic Authors: Liz Aston, José A. Brandariz, Dorota Czerwinska, Sofie De Kimpe, Jacques de Maillard, Istvan Hoffman, Megan O’Neil, Mike Rowe, Randi Solhjell. Overview and purpose This paper presents lessons learned from a quick review of the experience of policing the pandemic in European states. Reflecting on this experience, the paper presents lessons and recommendations for the policing of any future second wave or future pandemic. Background These are very difficult times for policing and the police. The COVID-19 virus caused a pandemic that demanded unprecedented measures in the field of medical and social order. "In this moment of rapid transition, the reproduction of order is in question, the management of risk is tenuous and the governance of security paramount." (Sheptycki, 2020, p.2) According to James Sheptycki, for the first time we can speak of a global policing event, though actual responses have tended to be national and to reinforce borders as a first line of defence against the virus. In response to the current COVID- 19 public health crisis, European states have introduced measures to close workplaces, to limit the movement of people and to require or encourage social distancing. The ways in which these measures have been formulated and enforced vary from one country to the next and, in many cases, from one town to another. Within this varied picture, we note an increased use of police authority to stop persons, to check their identity and, where appropriate, to search their person, as this is probably the most used police measure to enforce the requested social distance.
    [Show full text]
  • Illicit Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts, Components and Ammunition To, from and Across the European Union
    Illicit Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts, Components and Ammunition to, from and across the European Union REGIONAL ANALYSIS REPORT 1 UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME Vienna Illicit Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts, Components and Ammunition to, from and across the European Union UNITED NATIONS Vienna, 2020 UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME Vienna Illicit Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts, Components and Ammunition to, from and across the European Union REGIONAL ANALYSIS REPORT UNITED NATIONS Vienna, 2020 © United Nations, 2020. All rights reserved, worldwide. This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copy- right holder, provided acknowledgment of the source is made. UNODC would appreciate receiving a copy of any written output that uses this publication as a source at [email protected]. DISCLAIMERS This report was not formally edited. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UNODC, nor do they imply any endorsement. Information on uniform resource locators and links to Internet sites contained in the present publication are provided for the convenience of the reader and are correct at the time of issuance. The United Nations takes no responsibility for the continued accuracy of that information or for the content of any external website. This document was produced with the financial support of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect
    [Show full text]
  • Policing in Federal States
    NEPAL STEPSTONES PROJECTS Policing in Federal States Philipp Fluri and Marlene Urscheler (Eds.) Policing in Federal States Edited by Philipp Fluri and Marlene Urscheler Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) www.dcaf.ch The Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces is one of the world’s leading institutions in the areas of security sector reform (SSR) and security sector governance (SSG). DCAF provides in-country advisory support and practical assis- tance programmes, develops and promotes appropriate democratic norms at the international and national levels, advocates good practices and makes policy recommendations to ensure effective democratic governance of the security sector. DCAF’s partners include governments, parliaments, civil society, international organisations and the range of security sector actors such as police, judiciary, intelligence agencies, border security ser- vices and the military. 2011 Policing in Federal States Edited by Philipp Fluri and Marlene Urscheler Geneva, 2011 Philipp Fluri and Marlene Urscheler, eds., Policing in Federal States, Nepal Stepstones Projects Series # 2 (Geneva: Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, 2011). Nepal Stepstones Projects Series no. 2 © Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, 2011 Executive publisher: Procon Ltd., <www.procon.bg> Cover design: Angel Nedelchev ISBN 978-92-9222-149-2 PREFACE In this book we will be looking at specimens of federative police or- ganisations. As can be expected, the federative organisation of such states as Germany, Switzerland, the USA, India and Russia will be reflected in their police organisation, though the extremely decentralised approach of Switzerland with hardly any central man- agement structures can hardly serve as a paradigm of ‘the’ federal police organisation.
    [Show full text]
  • Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Page 1 of 4
    Responses to Information Requests - Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Page 1 of 4 Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Home > Research Program > Responses to Information Requests Responses to Information Requests Responses to Information Requests (RIR) respond to focused Requests for Information that are submitted to the Research Directorate in the course of the refugee protection determination process. The database contains a seven- year archive of English and French RIRs. Earlier RIRs may be found on the UNHCR's Refworld website. Please note that some RIRs have attachments which are not electronically accessible. To obtain a PDF copy of an RIR attachment, please email the Knowledge and Information Management Unit. 14 January 2016 UKR105399.E Ukraine: The new law on police and its effectiveness; recourse and state protection available to private citizens who have been the victims of criminal actions of police officers in Kiev (2014-January 2015) Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa 1. Police Reform In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a professor emeritus, affiliated with the Centre for Russian and East European Studies at the University of Toronto, who has written extensively on criminal justice systems within the post-Soviet world, stated that a new law on police patrol was adopted and went into effect in the Fall of 2015 (Professor Emeritus 7 Jan. 2016). The same source further stated that "a number of police reform projects" were underway, including "anti-corruption measures more generally" (ibid.). Other sources state that the law "'On National Police'" was passed on 2 July 2015 (Lawyer 8 Jan.
    [Show full text]
  • An Garda Síochána: Culture, Challenges, and Change
    An Garda Síochána: Culture, challenges, and change This thesis was submitted to the School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2020 Courtney Marsh This thesis was supervised by Professor Eoin O’Sullivan Declaration I declare that this thesis has not been submitted as an exercise for a degree at this or any other university and it is entirely my own work. I agree to deposit this thesis in the University’s open access institutional repository or allow the Library to do so on my behalf, subject to Irish Copyright Legislation and Trinity College Library conditions of use and acknowledgement. I consent to the examiner retaining a copy of the thesis beyond the examining period, should they so wish (EU GDPR May 2018). Signed: Courtney Marsh i Summary An Garda Síochána: Culture, challenges, and change is an exploration and understanding of the organisational culture of An Garda Síochána – Ireland’s National Policing Organisation. While the Gardaí – or officers – are often in the news media, there has been very little academic research on who and what this organisation is. On an abstract level, organisational culture provides the framework of the basic rules necessary to function, or survive, in an organisation. Police organisational culture provides an identity to officers that performs this same function. On a more specific scale, internationally, police culture has been understood to consist of masculinity, discrimination, exclusion, suspicion, isolation, solidarity/loyalty, moral and political conservatism, pragmatism, cynicism, aggression, negative views of supervision, selective enforcement of the law, and a prioritisation of the crime fighter role over service oriented role.
    [Show full text]
  • Public Statement
    www.amnesty.org AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL – PUBLIC STATEMENT 18 February 2021 AMR 53/3632/2021 VENEZUELA: IMPUNITY IN THE FACE OF LETHAL POLICY OF SOCIAL CONTROL Amnesty International received credible and consistent reports that alleged extrajudicial executions were committed between 6-9 January 2021, in La Vega parish, southwestern Caracas. There is still no official public information on the investigation into these events by the Attorney General’s Office or by the Office of the Ombudsman. Amnesty International investigated the reports of extrajudicial executions between 6-9 January 2021 in La Vega parish, Caracas, using open sources and its Crisis Evidence Lab, and concluded that, although the malicious intent on the part of the authorities could not be confirmed in every case, there are enough indications to conclude that the facts in question belong to a pattern of extrajudicial executions that have been condemned for years by international bodies and organizations and Venezuelan civil society. EVENTS BETWEEN 6 AND 9 JANUARY 2021 On 6 January 2021, an alleged clash between armed gangs and security forces in La Vega parish, Caracas, was made public. According to information published by the media, an alleged armed gang that responds to a leader nicknamed "El Coqui" tried to take control of the La Vega parish.1 These alleged clashes were not reported by police officials nor was their intervention known until 8 January, in the morning, when via different official social media accounts, they reported on the actions of the Special Action Forces (FAES) of the Bolivarian National Police (PNB), who were in the area.2 The information published by the PNB reports that 650 police officers, from various units, the FAES and the PNB's Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DIP) were deployed for the operation.3 Amnesty International verified nine videos filmed between 8 and 9 January showing police activity in the La Vega area.
    [Show full text]