Amnesty International sent an open letter to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Friday, calling for immediate action against Venezuela for its crimes under international law. 

The rights organization urged the prosecutor, Karim Khan, to take immediate action regarding the escalating human rights crisis in Venezuela, where security forces and pro-government groups have been responsible for numerous deaths and the arbitrary detention of thousands of people. Senior Director at Amnesty International Erika Guevara-Rosas criticized Khan’s silence amid these atrocities, emphasizing the urgent need for the ICC to accelerate its investigation into Venezuela’s situation, issue a preventive statement to deter further crimes and publicly support NGOs and human rights defenders facing increasing attacks. Rosas added:

Prosecutor Karim Khan’s silence in the face of the crisis in Venezuela is alarming. His office has witnessed the deaths of dozens of people at the hands of security forces and pro-government armed groups, as well as the arbitrary detention of more than 2,000 people in a matter of days, just for opposing or being perceived to oppose Nicolás Maduro’s government. On top of that, we’ve seen attacks, threats and the stigmatization of human rights defenders and civil society organizations that expose the government’s arbitrary actions, and who look to the Office of the Prosecutor as a last resort for justice.

Venezuela has been in turmoil since the conclusion of the presidential elections on July 28. On July 29, both Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and opposition candidate Edmundo González declared victory in the elections. González’s opposition coalition also accused the government of electoral fraud, claiming that González had secured more than 73 percent of the votes.

Subsequently, thousands of Venezuelans protested on July 30 after the National Electoral Council (CNE) declared Maduro the winner of the presidential elections amid widespread accusations of electoral fraud. Demonstrators filled the streets of Caracas and other cities, condemning the government and the CNE for allegedly manipulating the results in favor of Maduro. The protests, sparked by opposition leader María Corina Machado’s call for mass mobilization, resulted in 11 deaths, over 100 injuries and the arrest of more than 700 people, including opposition leader Freddy Superlano.

The United States has recognized González’s claim of victory over President Maduro, rejecting the results announced by Venezuela’s CNE. Several EU countries have also called on the CNE to release the official voting records after Maduro declared victory despite conflicting data published by the opposition.