Swiss journalist arrested during prison research in Venezuela
A Swiss journalist was arrested in a prison in northern Venezuela along with two colleagues while working on a report. According to the National Union of Journalists of Venezuela, the three were carrying unauthorized recording devices.
The detainees are Filippo Rossi, a freelance journalist from Comano TI, the Italian Roberto Di Matteo and Jesus Medina from Venezuela, as the SNTP (Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Prensa) announced on Twitter on Saturday (local time).
Rossi, who is also an extreme athlete, and Di Matteo write regularly for the Milan newspaper Il Giornale. Venezuelan Medina is a photographer for the government-critical online newspaper DolarToday.
Arrested persons are in good health
The three journalists were reportedly on a research trip to the state of Aragua, where they visited the Centro Penitenciario de Aragua, known as the Tocorón prison. According to SNTP, the journalists had an "invitation" to visit the prison.
#ALERTA Se conoció que reporteros fueron detenidos en Tocorón por el Ministerio Penitenciario y están en manos de la Fiscalía 14 de #Aragua pic.twitter.com/jbBCNgQ5pq
- SNTP (@sntpvenezuela) October 7, 2017
When they arrived there, they were denied access and arrested by the Venezuelan National Guard. The men have been in custody since Friday.
Representatives of the association have now had access to the three men, writes SNTP. They are doing well. There are no signs of torture. Rossi's sister also wrote on Facebook that her brother was doing well, as reported by several Italian-language media. The trial date is to be set on Sunday.
DFA confirms arrest
SNTP published a photo on Twitter showing the detainees framed by soldiers from behind. They had apparently been handcuffed. The photo also shows confiscated smartphones, recording devices, a Swiss passport and other IDs.
The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) confirmed the arrest of a Swiss citizen on Sunday at the request of the sda news agency. The Swiss embassy in Caracas is in contact with the relevant local authorities. Assistance is being provided to the Swiss national as part of consular protection.
According to the Ansa news agency, the Italian embassy in Caracas is also in contact with the local authorities about the incident.
Precarious conditions
The Tocorón prison around 100 kilometers southwest of Caracas is notorious for its precarious conditions and repeated acts of violence. The conditions in Venezuela's prisons are repeatedly criticized. The Latin American country's prisons are overcrowded and there are also complaints about malnutrition.
A bitter power struggle has been raging in Venezuela for months between the left-wing nationalist government under President Nicolás Maduro and the center-right opposition. Almost 130 people have been killed in the unrest since the beginning of April. According to human rights activists, more than 5,000 people have also been arrested. (SDA)
