IMPUNITY–VENEZUELA

WHEREAS
news photographer Jorge Tortoza of Diario 2001 was murdered while covering the violent protests of April 11 in Venezuela

WHEREAS
the prosecutors assigned to investigate the case have removed the autopsy reports from the case files of Tortoza and other victims of the April events, even though they are of fundamental importance for clearing up the events surrounding his death

WHEREAS
the Criminal Division of the Supreme Court has authorized transfer of the case files of Tortoza and other April 11 murders to the state of Aragua on grounds of potential media influence and scrutiny of the events

WHEREAS
Principle 4 of the Declaration of Chapultepec states that “freedom of expression and of the press are severely limited by murder, terrorism, kidnapping, intimidation, the unjust imprisonment of journalists, the destruction of facilities, violence of any kind and impunity for perpetrators. Such acts must be investigated promptly and punished harshly”

THE IAPA GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLVES
to call upon the Government of Venezuela to deepen its investigation and examine all the evidence, to determine those responsible for carrying out the murder, as well as who ordered it

to urge the authorities to transfer the cases to national jurisdiction, to ensure oversight and transparency in the investigations.