Human rights defender Javier Tarazona will appeal the denial of amnesty.

Despite the court's decision, Tarazona will continue to defend human rights. Javier Tarazona, general coordinator of the NGO FundaRedes, announced on Tuesday, March 24th, that he will formally appeal the court's decision to deny him the benefit of amnesty. The statement occurred in front of the headquarters of the Palace of Justice in Caracas, where the activist went to be notified of the judicial ruling after being released from prison on February 1, 2026. Tarazona described the measure as a "contradictory message" to the desire for a resolution to the crisis in the country. The human rights defender stated that the legal process will continue immediately to reverse this denial of dismissal, which also affects his colleagues Omar de Dios García and his brother Rafael Tarazona. "We announce with serenity and firmness that we will not back down, that we are initiating the appeal process at this moment," the coordinator of FundaRedes told the media. Procedural situation and mass notifications. The activist pointed out that the court did not present technical arguments to support the decision. According to his testimony, the notification document only indicates that the request has been denied, without detailed explanations about the legal reasons that prevent the definitive closure of the process initiated almost five years ago. Tarazona was arbitrarily detained on July 2, 2021, in the state of Falcón. The arrest occurred when the human rights defender was at the Prosecutor's Office in Coro to report that he was being harassed by state security officials. After his arrest, he was transferred to Caracas and held in El Helicoide, where he faced charges of treason, terrorism, and inciting hatred after reporting links between high-ranking Venezuelan officials and irregular armed groups. During his visit to the judicial headquarters, the defender observed a large number of similar notification documents for other citizens. Tarazona indicated that this scenario suggests that hundreds or thousands of people in the country are receiving negative responses to their requests for full freedom or the closure of cases under the framework of amnesty. "A denial today, however administrative, does not erase a true ethics, nor does it stop our will," Tarazona stated during his appearance. Demand for justice and the rule of law. Omar de Dios García, a human rights activist from the same NGO, emphasized that the case of FundaRedes has involved more than 60 hearings in a process that adds years of judicial proceedings. García stressed that amnesty should be a tool for the real restoration of legal certainty and not a measure of partial freedom for those who defend fundamental rights. The organization's defense team reiterated that this decision contradicts the mandates of international organizations. The Fact-Finding Mission and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner have repeatedly called for the closure of this judicial process, considering it an arbitrary detention from its inception. "The country needs us to exercise a right, which is the right to truth. And the truth is built by giving all human rights defenders full freedom, because it would be a very bad precedent for the country, as we are practically the only human rights defenders who have not formally been denied amnesty," said Omar de Dios García. Tarazona emphasized that the experience of confinement, lasting 1,675 days, reinforces his commitment to preventing abuses. Despite the court's decision on Tuesday, the activist ruled out abandoning his work of documenting and denouncing human rights violations in Venezuela. "They will not take me off the path of defending people, of speaking for people, of listening to people, and of simply being the voice of those who have no voice," concluded the general coordinator of FundaRedes. Finally, the activists called on the international community and embassies to observe the development of this case. Human rights defenders emphasized that restoring the rule of law requires ensuring that the exercise of defending human rights is not permanently criminalized or subjected to judicial proceedings. "We continue to believe in justice and we continue to do so with love," concluded García.