URGENT ACTION APPEAL – From Amnesty International USA
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15 January 2010 UA 13/10 – Disappearance VENEZUELA Franklin Brito Rodriguez (m), farmer Franklin Brito Rodriguez, a farmer, went missing from a military hospital in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, on 9 January. Staff at the hospital, where he is being treated for the effects of a hunger strike, are said to have sedated him and taken him from his bed. There has been no news of his whereabouts since then. Franklin Brito Rodriguez a farmer from the village of La Tigresa, Bolivar state, southeastern Venezuela, has been on hunger strike since July 2009, outside the office of the intergovernmental body, the Organization of American States (OAS) in Caracas. In December 2009, the Public Prosecutor’s Office requested a court order to put him in hospital, as they feared for his health. This court order was granted, and Franklin Brito has been in a military hospital under military guard since 10 December, a decision that he and his family contested, demanding that he be treated by a doctor of his choice. An appeal against the court order was rejected on 21 December. On 9 January, hospital staff told Franklin Brito’s daughter, who was visiting him, that he was being taken for therapy. She says that they sedated him before taking him away. His family has not seen him since or been told where he is, and they are concerned for his safety. On 11 January, after Franklin Brito was taken away from hospital, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights called on the Venezuelan government to allow him visits as well as access and treatment from a doctor of his choice, or one provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Franklin Brito began protesting in 2006 against a decision by the Instituto Nacional de Tierras (National Land Institute), a government body, to take ownership of some of his land. This decision appeared to be in reprisal for allegations he made that the mayor of the nearby city of Sucre was corrupt. His protests have included several hunger strikes. According to sources in Venezuela, the central government has given him back ownership of the disputed land and offered him compensation. However, the authorities have failed to evict a group of people who have occupied this land, leading Franklin Brito to begin his most recent hunger strike.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible: – urging the authorities to reveal the whereabouts of Franklin Brito Rodriguez, to guarantee his safety and ensure he has access to the health care of his choice; – calling on them to guarantee that he is able to keep in contact with his family and lawyers; – asking the authorities to inform you of the actions they have taken in response to Franklin Brito Rodriguez’s demands in relation to his land.
APPEALS TO: Minister of the Interior and Justice Sr. Tarek El Aissami Ministerio del Poder Popular para Relaciones Interiores y Justicia Av. Urdaneta Edif. Sede MIJ, Piso 1 Carmelitas, Caracas VENEZUELA Fax: 011 58 212 506 1557
Salutation: Señor Ministro/Dear Minister
Attorney General Dra. Luisa Ortega Diaz Fiscal General de la Republica Fiscalia General de la Republica Avda. México, Manduca a Pelelojo Edif. Sede Fiscalia General de la Republica La Candelaria, Caracas VENEZUELA Fax: 011 58 212 509 8504 Email: mp@fiscalia.gov.ve
Salutation: Señora Fiscal General/ Dear Attorney General
COPIES TO: Human rights organization PROVEA Bulevar Panteon Puente Trinidad a Tienda Honda Edif. Centro Plaza Las Mercedes, PB. Local 6 Apartado Postal 5156 Carmelitas 1010-A, Caracas VENEZUELA Fax: 011 58 212 862 1011
Ambassador Bernardo Alvarez Herrera Embassy of the Republic of Venezuela 1099 30th St. NW Washington DC 20007 Fax: 1 202 342 6820 Email: prensa@embavenez-us.org
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action office if sending appeals after 26 February 2010.
Tip of the Month: Write as soon as you can. Try to write as close as possible to the date a case is issued.
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Amnesty International is a worldwide grassroots movement that promotes and defends human rights. This Urgent Action may be reposted if kept intact, including contact information and stop action date (if applicable). Thank you for your help with this appeal. Urgent Action Network Amnesty International USA 600 Pennsylvania Ave SE 5th fl Washington DC 20003 Email: uan@aiusa.org http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/ Phone: 202.544.0200 Fax: 202.675.8566
END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL ———————————-
