"Legal rights group Foro Penal said several other prisoners had been released with Tarazona from the Helicoide detention centre in Caracas. The group said it has verified more than 300 political prisoners freed since the government announced a series of releases on January 8. Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez on Friday unveiled a proposed amnesty law covering hundreds of prisoners and said the Helicoide prison long condemned by rights groups as a site of prisoner abuse will be transformed into a sports and social services complex."
"Translation: Today, #1Feb, after 1675 days, 4 years and 7 months, this long-awaited day has arrived. My brother Javier Tarazona is FREE. THANKS BE TO GOD ALMIGHTY. Thank you to everyone who made this moment possible. One person's freedom is everyone's hope. #FreeToLiberate"
"Tarazona is the director of FundaRedes, which tracks alleged abuses by Colombian armed groups and the Venezuelan military along the countries' border. He was arrested in July 2021 and accused of terrorism and conspiracy. Government officials who deny holding political prisoners and say those jailed have committed crimes have given a much higher figure for the releases, saying there have been more than 600, but have not been clear about the timeline and appear to be including releases from previous years. The government has never provided an official list of how many prisoners will be released or who they are."
Javier Tarazona, director of FundaRedes, was released from the Helicoide detention centre in Caracas after 1,675 days — four years and seven months — in custody. He was arrested in July 2021 on accusations of terrorism and conspiracy. Legal rights group Foro Penal said several other prisoners were released alongside him and has verified more than 300 political prisoner releases since January 8. Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez unveiled a proposed amnesty law for hundreds of prisoners and plans to convert the Helicoide into a sports and social services complex. Families and rights groups say official release numbers and timelines remain unclear.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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