On 22 September 2025, Lawyers for Lawyers (L4L) and the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) delivered an oral statement during Item 4 of the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The statement can be downloaded here and reads as follows:
Lawyers for Lawyers (L4L) and the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)[1] thank the international fact-finding mission for this report.
An alarming cycle of repression persists in Venezuela, where the ongoing persecution of dissent continues to shrink and close civic space. Since the 2024 elections, an increasingly hostile environment for the legal profession has taken hold. Lawyers are systematically denied access to clients and case files, and face intimidation, and arrests simply for carrying out their professional duties.
At least 823 individuals remain in detention for political reasons. Among them are lawyers such as Rocío San Miguel, Kennedy Tejeda, and Eduardo Torres. Like other political prisoners, they have been subjected to enforced disappearance, torture and denial of their right to choose legal representation.
In many cases, criminalization reflects a broader pattern of stigmatization, where lawyers are branded as “enemies of the State”. In addition, at least 40 individuals, including human rights defenders, have had their passports arbitrarily cancelled by authorities. [2]
These practices foster a climate of fear among lawyers and severely obstruct access to justice.
We call for the immediate and unconditional release of San Miguel, Tejeda, Torres, and all others detained for political reasons. We further urge this Council to maintain a strong response to the deterioration of the rule of law in Venezuela, and to ensure that lawyers are able to carry out their professional duties freely and safely.
[1] The following NGOs without consultative status also share the views expressed in this statement: Foro Penal and AlertaVenezuela.
[2] IACHR, Remarks by Commissioner Gloria de Mees, Rapporteur for Venezuela. Aug 6, 2025
