Venezuela group says 2018 marked by torture of political prisoners

Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Venezuelan authorities are holding 288 people in prison who are considered by a human rights group to be political prisoners, amid complains of torture.

Alfredo Romero, executive director of the Venezuelan human rights organization Foro Penal, named two doctors -- one with kidney trouble and one with broken hands -- as two examples, El Nacional reported Tuesday.

This year has also been marked by repression of some military members and the detention of relatives of political opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Romero added. He mentioned the case of general Jose Gamez, who was jailed July 25 and suffered from undernourishment and a stroke.

Camen Gutierrez, Gamez's wife, said she herself was freed after four years in jail as a political prisoner, but is now worried about her husband, El Nacional reported.

Yofran Quintero, who was accused of being part of an insurgency group after a terrorism crackdown in April, was recently beaten up in a military prison where he's detained.

Relatives are demanding medical officials verify Quintero's physical condition, the report added.

Foro Penal is a Venezuelan organization that claims membership of 100 lawyers and more than 5,000 human rights activists. It's helped more than 10,000 victims and families of those killed or attacked during peaceful demonstrations.

The situation of detainees in Venezuela and torture suspicions captured worldwide attention in October. A New York Times report said the death of former Caracas councilman Fernando Alban had raised widespread concern.

According to Venezuelan officials, Alban killed himself in police custody by jumping from the 10th story of the Caracas police headquarters building. He had been detained under suspicion of participating in a plan to kill Maduro using drones back in August.

The newspaper reported "several foreign governments" accused Maduro of torturing and killing the politician.