A/HRC/39/41
detainees with similar charges, or denied food or purchases from the prison mess. The
Government further noted that there is no government media outlet in Turkey other than the
Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, and any publication o r b ro adcast b y p riv at e
media outlets reflect their own opinion.
28.
Turkmenistan
118. On 18 May 2018 at the end of his visit to Kyrgyzstan, the Assistant SecretaryGeneral for Human Rights attended the Human Rights Defender Platform Security Meeting
for Central Asia and engaged with human rights defenders from four countries, but said h e
regretted that the OHCHR regional office had not felt able to invite representativ es fro m
Turkmenistan for fear that they might face intimidation or reprisals from their Governmen t
for cooperation with the United Nations.27
29.
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
119. According to information received, representatives of the Government of Venezuela
allegedly threatened and harassed four civil society representatives at a s id e ev ent o f t h e
thirty-fifth session of the Human Rights Council on 6 June 2017. Mr. Alonso Medin a Ro a
(Foro Penal), Mr. Julio Henriquez (Refugee Freedom Program), Ms. Laura Louza (Acceso
a la Justicia) and Ms. Mercedes De Freitas (Transparencia Venezuela) were participating in
a panel co-sponsored by the United States of America and were reportedly threatened t hat
their passports would be confiscated.
120. Several civil society representatives are alleged to have been targeted by
Mr. Diosdado Cabello Rondon, then member of the National Constit u ent A ssemb ly an d
Vice-President of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). According to the
allegations received, Mr. Diosdado Cabello Rondon has used his programme “Con el Mazo
Dando,” a weekly broadcast on Venezuelan public television, to launch a smear camp aig n
against human rights defenders, including those that have cooperated with the Human
Rights Council and OHCHR.
27
GE.18-13325
OHCHR, “Kyrgyzstan: Ethnic minorities need equal treatment, says senior UN official; salutes
Central Asian rights defenders,” 18 May 2018.
41