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Alert

Human rights activists detained, videocamera seized by police

(IPYS/IFEX) - On 12 March 2010, policemen detained journalists Rafael Uzcátegui, Marcos Ponce and Robert Calzadilla, members of the human rights organization Provea, and took their video recorder from them when the organization hosted a press conference in the state of Aragua, in northern Venezuela.

The police used teargas bombs to disperse those present and then proceeded to detain 25 persons, some of Provea's members among them. The conference was taking place after a demonstration, also organized by Provea, against the criminalizing of social protests.

The police seized the video recorder with which Provea's journalists recorded the demonstration and the press conference and transferred those detained to the Aragua Police General Command.

Rafael Uzcátegui is Provea's press coordinator, Marco Ponce works as a researcher for the organization and Robert Calzadilla is a photographer.