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ePaper created 2015-11-10, 17:27:36 | version 1.33.00
REDACTED Page 137 of 190 motivated.582 It concluded that: “[t]he arrest of Mr. López on 18 February 2014, having been executed without order from a judicial authority; having been extended for a period of more than six months; having exposed Mr. López to isolation; not having granted Mr. López provisional freedom subject to bail if necessary; and having imposed obstacles to the defense lawyers, including the censorship of their communications with the detainee, affects the right to a fair and impartial trial, the presumption of innocence, and due process.” 583 Following the UN Working Group’s report, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein called for the “immediately release [of] Mr López and Mr Ceballos” (referencing Daniel Ceballos, former Mayor of San Cristobal, Táchira, also victim of an arbitrary imprisonment).584 Furthermore, Amnesty International reported that López’s detention “appears to be politically motivated” and called for his immediate release.585 Similarly, Human Rights Watch has constantly called for his release since as early as 19 February 2014.586 Several NGOs, political leaders and governments have called for López’s release, upon considering his detention either arbitrary or based on political motivations.587 Most 582 Opinion adopted by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in its seventieth session, Opinion No. 26/2014 (A/HRC/WGAD/2014/26) 583 Opinion adopted by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in its seventieth session, Opinion No. 26/2014 (A/HRC/WGAD/2014/26), para. 59. 584 UN. (2014) UN Human Rights Chief urges Venezuela to release arbitrarily detained protestors and politicians. United Nations. [Online] 20 October. Available from: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15187&LangID=E [Accessed 25 October, 2015] 585 AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL. (2015) Venezuela: the Faces of Impunity. p.39 586 EL UNIVERSAL. (2014) Human Rights Watch exige a Maduro la inmediata liberación de López. El Universal. [Online] 19 February. Available from: http://www.eluniversal.com/nacional-y- politica/140219/human-rights-watch-exige-a-maduro-la-inmediata-liberacion-de-López [Accessed 25 October, 2015]; EMOL. (2014) HRW: Detención de opositor en Venezuela es una "violación atroz" del debido proceso. EMOL. [Online] 19 February. Available from: http://www.emol.com/noticias/internacional/2014/02/19/645593/human-rights-watch-exige-a- maduro-la-inmediata-liberacion-del-opositor-López.html [Accessed 25 October, 2015]; ABC. (2014) Human Rights Watch exige a Maduro liberación del opositor López. ABC. [Online] 19 February. Available from: http://www.abc.com.py/internacionales/human-rights-watch-exige-a-maduro- liberacion-del-opositor-Lopez-1216586.html [Accessed 25 October, 2015] 587 LONDOÑO, E. (2015) Colombia Calls for Release of Venezuelan Political Prisoner. New York Times. [Online] 28 January. Available from: http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/28/colombia- calls-for-release-of-venezuelan-political-prisoner/ [Accessed 25 October, 2015]; http://rfkcenter.org/robert-f-kennedy-human-rights-condemns-arbitrary-detention-in-venezuela- demands-release-of-all-political-prisoners; PANAM POST. (2014) Obama Calls for Release of Leopoldo López from Political Imprisonment. Panama Post. [Online] 24 September. Available from: http://panampost.com/panam-staff/2014/09/24/obama-calls-for-release-of-leopoldo-Lopez-from- political-imprisonment/ [Accessed 25 October, 2015]; BBC. (2015) El expresidente Bill Clinton pide la liberación inmediata de Leopoldo López. BBC. [Online] 20 February. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/ultimas_noticias/2015/02/150220_ultnot_tuit_bill_clinton_sobre_ven ezuela_bd [Accessed 25 October, 2015]; EL UNIVERSAL. (2015) Congreso de España pide liberación de Ledezma y López. El Universal. [Online] 14 April. Available from: