A preliminary examination by the International Criminal Court (ICC) has revealed that there is a “reasonable basis to believe” that Venezuela committed crimes against humanity.

This is according to the report published by Chief Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda.

The ICC alleges that since April 2017, authorities, security forces and government supporters committed “the crimes against humanity of imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty,’’ Bensouda said.

The alleged crimes included torture, rape and other forms of grave sexual violence as well as persecution.

The prosecution at the ICC has been examining crimes committed under President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela since 2018.

The court is to decide in 2021 whether it will launch official criminal investigations.

This is Bensouda’s last report as chief prosecutor as her term ends in the summer, with a successor to be determined by ICC signatory states in December 2021.

NAN