BRIEFING NOTES: (1) USA; (2) (EN/SP) Venezuela; (3) (EN/AR) Egypt

Spokespeople for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Liz Throssell and Thameen Al-Kheetan 

Location: Geneva 

Date: 13 May 2025 

Subject:        USA (Liz Throssell)

                        Venezuela (Liz Throssell)

                        Egypt (Thameen Al-Kheetan)

 (1) USA 

The deportation over recent months of large numbers of non-nationals from the United States of America, especially to countries other than those of their origin, raises a number of human rights concerns, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said on Tuesday. 

According to official US data, between 20 January and 29 April, 142,000 individuals have been deported from the US. In particular, the fate and whereabouts of at least 245 Venezuelans and some 30 Salvadorans removed to El Salvador remain unclear. 

Many of them were deported under the Alien Enemies Act as alleged members of specific criminal groups. They have reportedly been detained in the maximum-security “Centre for Terrorism Confinement” (CECOT) in El Salvador, a facility where detainees are treated particularly harshly, without access to legal counsel or their relatives, or other contact with the outside world.   

(2) Venezuela 

The detention and enforced disappearance of critics of the Venezuelan Government is continuing, fuelling a climate of fear. The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, calls on the authorities to release immediately all those arbitrarily detained, and to ensure due process and fair trial standards are met. 

Since last year’s election, human rights defenders, journalists and others perceived as dissident voices have been subjected to intimidation and persecution, limiting the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. 

Among the most recent cases of concern is that of Eduardo Torres, a lawyer with the Venezuelan Education-Action Program on Human Rights, who according to credible information, was arrested on his way home in Caracas on 9 May. His relatives report being unable to contact him and remain unaware of his whereabouts. 

Our Office continues to be concerned by conditions of detention, in particular lack of access to adequate food and health care. Our Office has verified the deaths of at least three Government critics held in custody since July 2024. These cases must be fully and independently investigated. 

The High Commissioner urges authorities to provide promptly details on the fate and whereabouts of the missing and detained to their loved ones, and to ensure they are granted access to lawyers of their own choosing. 

Amid the widening restrictions on civic space, we recall that the Law on the Control, Regulation, Performance, and Financing of Non-Governmental and Related Organizations is vague and undermines the rights to freedom of expression and association. This law must be repealed. 

(3) Egypt 

We have closely followed the passage of Egypt’s new Code of Criminal Procedure, which was recently approved by the House of Representatives and is now pending presidential approval. 

We have raised concerns over provisions of the law that will grant public prosecutors broad discretionary powers related to pre-trial detention, interception of communications, and travel bans. The law would also provide for other measures adversely impacting the right to effective legal representation, and on accountability for the conduct of public officials, including law enforcement personnel. 

Last-minute amendments were reportedly made to the draft law before it was sent to the President for his approval. However, these changes have not been made public, raising concerns about lack of legislative transparency. 

We call on the President of Egypt to consider carefully the proposed Criminal Procedure Code in light of these concerns prior to granting any assent, in order to ensure that it fully complies with Egypt’s international human rights obligations.

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