Latest news with #Saab
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Venezuela says migrants were tortured in Salvadoran prison
Venezuela announced a probe Monday into torture claims by 252 migrants the United States had sent to a notorious Salvadoran prison where they said they were beaten, sexually abused and fed rotten food. Attorney General Tarek William Saab presented photos and testimonies at a news conference in Caracas of some of the men, who said they had feared not making it out alive. Several had bruises on their bodies, marks of being shot with rubber bullets, and one had a split lip. Andry Hernandez Romero, a 32-year-old beautician among those sent to the notorious CECOT prison as part of US President Donald Trump's migrant crackdown, said he barely survived the ordeal. "We were going through torture, physical aggressions, psychological aggressions," he said in a video presented by Saab. "I was sexually abused." Saab said the prosecutor's office was interviewing the returned migrants. Many spoke of being held in "inhuman cells," deprived of sunlight and ventilation, and given rotten food and unsafe drinking water. The men had no access to lawyers or their relatives, and the last time many of them were seen was when President Nayib Bukele's government issued photos of them arriving at the prison shackled and with their heads shorn. - 'Mom, it's Mervin' - By Monday afternoon, the migrants had not yet been reunited with their families. Officials said they were undergoing medical exams, being issued with new Venezuelan ID cards, and interviewed by the prosecutor's office. Mercedes Yamarte, 46, told AFP she was preparing a welcome party for her 29-year-old son Mervin -- one of the men released from the prison Bukele built as part of his mass anti-gang crackdown. She had put up balloons, banners and prepared food at their home in a poor neighborhood of Maracaibo in northern Venezuela, but had no idea when to expect him. At lunchtime on Monday, she received a call, and heard the words: "Mom, it's Mervin." "I hadn't heard my son's voice in four months and seven days, listening to him was a joy, a joy I cannot describe," she told AFP. - Crimes against humanity - The men were accused in the United States of being gang members and flown in March to El Salvador, after Trump invoked rarely used wartime laws to deport the men without court hearings. Their treatment elicited an international outcry. Saab said the Venezuelan investigation would target Bukele and other Salvadoran officials for alleged crimes against humanity. And he urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the UN Human Rights Council to act. The men were freed last Friday and flown back home in what the Trump administration said was an exchange for 10 Americans or US residents and dozens of "political prisoners" held in Venezuela. President Nicolas Maduro on his TV show Monday claimed Bukele had tried "last minute" to prevent the migrants from leaving. "You could not stop the first plane, but for the second plane he put some car on the runway... to provoke either an accident or prevent them from leaving," he said. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado labeled the process as an "exchange of prisoners of war" during a television interview Monday. Venezuela itself faces an investigation by the ICC in The Hague, with similar allegations of torturing prisoners and denying them access to legal representation. Hundreds of people are held for political reasons in Venezuela, according to rights group Foro Penal. Some 2,400 people were arrested, 28 killed and 200 injured in a crackdown on protests that broke out last July after Maduro claimed victory in elections he is widely accused of having stolen. On Sunday, Maduro's government insisted negotiations for the migrants' release were held "only with the United States of America" and not "the clown" Bukele. jt/nn/jgc/mtp
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Venezuela to probe El Salvador's Bukele for ‘torture' of US deportees
Venezuela has launched an investigation into the role El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele and his senior officials played in the alleged torture of 252 migrants who were detained in the Central American country after being deported from the United States. Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab made the announcement in Caracas on Monday, as he presented photos and testimonies of some of the men, who said they were beaten, sexually abused and fed rotten food while inside a notorious El Salvador prison. Others were denied medical care or treated without anaesthesia, Saab said, urging the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the UN Human Rights Council to act. The Venezuelans were sent to El Salvador from the US in March, after US President Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang without due process. The deportations drew fierce criticism from human rights groups and a legal battle with the Trump administration. Family members and lawyers of many of the men deny they had gang ties. Prisoner swap The former detainees arrived near Caracas on Friday following their release in El Salvador, in exchange for 10 US citizens and political prisoners held in Venezuela. Saab said the prosecutor's office was interviewing the returned migrants. Some of the former detainees have since reunited with their families, but they have not yet returned to their own homes. Several had bruises on their bodies, marks of being shot with rubber bullets, and one had a split lip. Andry Hernandez Romero, a 32-year-old beautician among those sent to El Salvador, said he barely survived the ordeal. 'We were going through torture, physical aggressions, psychological aggressions,' he said in a video presented by Saab. 'I was sexually abused.' Others spoke of being held in 'inhuman cells', deprived of sunlight and ventilation, and given rotten food and unsafe drinking water while in the El Salvador prison. The men had no access to lawyers or their relatives, and the last time many of them were seen was when Bukele's government issued photos of them arriving at the prison shackled and with their heads from Bukele, Venezuela will investigate El Salvador's Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro and Head of Prisons Osiris Luna Meza, Saab said. Bukele's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the media. Late on Monday, Bukele posted about the return on social media but did not comment on the abuse allegations. 'The Maduro regime was satisfied with the swap deal; that's why they accepted it,' he said on X. 'Now they scream their outrage, not because they disagree with the deal but because they just realised they ran out of hostages from the most powerful country in the world.' President Nicolas Maduro, on his TV show on Monday, claimed Bukele had tried 'last minute' to prevent the migrants from leaving. 'You could not stop the first plane, but for the second plane he put some car on the runway … to provoke either an accident or prevent them from leaving,' he said. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado labelled the process as an 'exchange of prisoners of war' during a television interview on Monday. Venezuela itself faces an investigation by the ICC in The Hague, with similar allegations of torturing prisoners and denying them access to legal representation of political prisoners. Solve the daily Crossword
DW
a day ago
- Politics
- DW
Venezuela says US migrants were tortured in El Salvador – DW – 07/22/2025
Venezuela has launched an investigation into the alleged torture of its citizens in El Salvador prison. The Venezuelan citizens who had been deported from the US to the prison were released on Friday. The Venezuelan Attorney General office on Monday announced an investigation into allegations of torture of migrants sent to an El Salvador prison from the US. The more than 250 Venezuelans were returned home on Friday in a prisoner exchange with the US. They had been detained in the notorious Terrorisom Confinement Center, or CECOT, prison in El Salvador since a press conference on Monday, Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab showed videos of former detainees describing human rights abuses and showing injuries. Saab said prisoners suffered several kinds of mistreatment, including sexual abuse, beatings, denial of medical care or treatment without anesthesia, and that they were given rotten food. He said that his office will investigate El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro and Head of Prisons Osiris Luna Meza for the alleged mistreatment and human rights abuses of the Venezuelans. Andry Hernandez Romero, a 32-year-old beautician among those sent to the prison, described the abuses in a video presented by Saab. "We were going through torture, physical aggressions, psychological aggressions," he said "I was sexually abused." Many spoke of being held in inhumane cells, deprived of sunlight and ventilation. They had no access to lawyers or relatives. The Venezuelan governement has said the group will be medically assessed, interviewed, and issued new Venezuelan ID cards before being returned home. Bukele's office has not yet responded to the abuse allegations. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Venezuelan migrants spent months detained in the maximum-security prison after being deported by the US. They had been sent to the CECOT prison after U.S. President Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang. This rarely used wartime law led to deportations without court hearings and resulted in an international outcry. Many family members and lawyers of the accused denied any gang ties. They were released on Friday in exchange for 10 US nationals jailed in Venezuela. The opposition coalition in Venezuela has celebrated the release of the prisoners, but said on Sunday that nearly 1,000 people remain jailed in Venezuela for political reasons, with 12 arrested in recent days. Venezuela itself faces an investigation by the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Mercedes Yamarte, mother of one of the men released on Friday, told French news agency AFP that she was preparing a welcome party for her 29-year-old son Mervin. On Monday, she received a call and heard "Mom, it's Mervin." "I hadn't heard my son's voice in four months and seven days, listening to him was a joy, a joy I cannot describe," she said.
Roya News
a day ago
- Politics
- Roya News
Venezuela says migrants were tortured in Salvadoran prison
Venezuela announced a probe Monday into torture claims by 252 migrants the United States had sent to a notorious Salvadoran prison where they said they were beaten, sexually abused and fed rotten food. Attorney General Tarek William Saab presented photos and testimonies at a news conference in Caracas of some of the men, who said they had feared not making it out alive. Several had bruises on their bodies, marks of being shot with rubber bullets, and one had a split lip. Andry Hernandez Romero, a 32-year-old beautician among those sent to the notorious CECOT prison as part of US President Donald Trump's migrant crackdown, said he barely survived the ordeal. "We were going through torture, physical aggressions, psychological aggressions," he said in a video presented by Saab. "I was sexually abused." Saab said the prosecutor's office was interviewing the returned migrants. Many spoke of being held in "inhuman cells," deprived of sunlight and ventilation, and given rotten food and unsafe drinking water. The men had no access to lawyers or their relatives, and the last time many of them were seen was when President Nayib Bukele's government issued photos of them arriving at the prison shackled and with their heads shorn. By Monday afternoon, the migrants had not yet been reunited with their families. Officials said they were undergoing medical exams, being issued with new Venezuelan ID cards, and interviewed by the prosecutor's office. Crimes against humanity The men were accused in the United States of being gang members and flown in March to El Salvador, after Trump invoked rarely used wartime laws to deport the men without court hearings. Their treatment elicited an international outcry. Saab said the Venezuelan investigation would target Bukele and other Salvadoran officials for alleged crimes against humanity. And he urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the UN Human Rights Council to act. The men were freed last Friday and flown back home in what the Trump administration said was an exchange for 10 Americans or US residents and dozens of "political prisoners" held in Venezuela. President Nicolas Maduro on his TV show Monday claimed Bukele had tried "last minute" to prevent the migrants from leaving. "You could not stop the first plane, but for the second plane he put some car on the runway... to provoke either an accident or prevent them from leaving," he said. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado labeled the process as an "exchange of prisoners of war" during a television interview Monday. Venezuela itself faces an investigation by the ICC in The Hague, with similar allegations of torturing prisoners and denying them access to legal representation. Hundreds of people are held for political reasons in Venezuela, according to rights group Foro Penal. Some 2,400 people were arrested, 28 killed and 200 injured in a crackdown on protests that broke out last July after Maduro claimed victory in elections he is widely accused of having stolen.
USA Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Alexander Skarsgård says he retired from acting at 13 after early fame: 'It was rough'
Alexander Skarsgård revealed how his first taste of fame as a teenage TV star in Sweden turned him off from acting for years. The "True Blood" alum, 48, opened up on the July 21 episode of the "Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard" podcast about feeling "incredibly self-conscious" after his breakout role in the 1989 Swedish movie "Hunden som log." "It was rough. I didn't like being recognized. I didn't like going to school and kids at school being like, 'I saw the movie!'" Skarsgård told Shepard and cohost Monica Padman. "My confidence was down the drain." He continued: "I was like, 'This is terrible. And I've (only) done one 50-minute made-for-TV movie. I don't want to keep doing this.'" That was nearly the end of his acting career, which has since seen Skarsgård earn Emmy and Golden Globe awards. "I retired, threw in the towel at 13," he added. Alexander Skarsgård on his first role: 'Classic case of nepotism' Skarsgård first acted as a 7-year-old in 1984's "Ake and His World." This happened due to a "classic case of nepotism," he admitted on the podcast, explaining that his dad's friend, the late actor and director Allan Edwall, offered him the gig. Skarsgård's father is Stellan Skarsgård – of "Good Will Hunting," "Mamma Mia!" and "Dune" fame – and three of his seven younger siblings – brothers Gustaf, Bill, and Valter Skarsgård – are also actors. "Even though my dad was an actor, my younger brother, from when he was like 5, 6, he was adamant about 'I'm going to be an actor.' And I wasn't," Skarsgård said on the podcast. "I'd done a couple of odd jobs here and there, but it wasn't like I was pursuing it." "It wasn't a difficult decision," he explained of quitting acting as a teen. "I was like, 'I don't want to be an actor; I just want to drive a Saab. So I just kind of stopped doing it." He went in the opposite direction from his "bohemian" parents and eventually enlisted in the Swedish Navy. 'Stupid choice': Alexander Skarsgård regrets painful 'Murderbot' full body waxing "My teenage years, (I was) adamant about not following Dad and becoming an actor," Skarsgård said. He'd thought at the time: "You know what? I'm going to go off and be out all on my own on an island in the archipelago far from all the Skarsgårds," he said, adding: "And I hated it. I don't recommend doing it." He later continued: "You don't want to have to join the military for a year and a half to get independent. I don't recommend it." 'Zoolander' got Alexander Skarsgård back into acting Skarsgård briefly attended New York City's Marymount Manhattan College and then returned to Stockholm, where he worked "odd jobs" at a coffee shop, a clothing store, and as a busboy. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, he booked several Swedish TV shows and movies. He found his way to Hollywood when another opportunity landed in his lap courtesy of his famous father. His father's manager sent him out to an audition for "Zoolander," Skarsgård said. "And I booked that baby." "I was just like, 'Oh, I guess this is how Hollywood works. You walk into a room and Ben Stiller's sitting there and you're like, all right!'" he joked.
