Venezuela charges two intelligence officials over death of detained officer
Source: Reuters
WORLD NEWS JULY 1, 2019 / 12:54 PM / UPDATED 41 MINUTES AGO
Venezuela charges two intelligence officials over death of detained officer
Vivian Sequera, Brian Ellsworth
4 MIN READ
CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela has charged two intelligence officials with homicide over the death of a navy captain who had been in military custody, the countrys chief prosecutor said on Monday, following outrage over alleged torture of the deceased officer.
President Nicolas Maduros government over the weekend confirmed the death on June 29 of Rafael Acosta, arrested eight days earlier for alleged participation in a coup plot, without providing details on the cause of death.
Acostas wife and rights groups accuse Maduros government of torturing Acosta to death and refusing to clarify the circumstances. United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet on Monday said she was shocked by the torture allegations.
Chief Prosecutor Tarek Saab said two officials working for military intelligence agency DGCIM had been charged with homicide in Acostas death, without making reference to torture or explaining how Acosta was killed.
Two officials working for the (DGCIM) have been linked to this regrettable incident, Saab wrote on Twitter. The two officials are a sergeant and a captain of the National Guard, who were aiding the DGCIM, he said.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-captain-un/venezuela-charges-two-intelligence-officials-over-death-of-detained-officer-idUSKCN1TW3BV