ICC Monitors Venezuela Following Election Violence

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela following the disputed July 28 presidential election, which saw Nicolás Maduro declared the winner despite evidence suggesting he lost by a significant margin. Following the election, over 2,000 individuals have been arrested for protesting or questioning the electoral process, resulting in at least 24 deaths. ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan stated that his office has received multiple reports of violence and is engaging with Venezuelan authorities to uphold the rule of law and protect citizens from potential crimes under the Rome Statute. Maduro has encouraged citizens to report dissenters through a government app and announced plans to upgrade prisons to accommodate more detainees, declaring, "There will be no mercy." The ICC is also continuing its investigation into violence from the 2017 election, but has not issued arrest warrants thus far. Khan's office has urged individuals with relevant information to submit it through an online portal.