Venezuela: PEN International demands the withdrawal of charges against journalist Rory Branker
Image Credit: La Patilla
‘The Venezuelan authorities must end the judicial persecution of Rory Daniel Branker and others detained or prosecuted for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression. Those released from their unjust detention cannot enjoy freedom until the spurious charges against them have also been dropped’, said Ma Thida, Chair of PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee.
5 May 2025 - PEN International expresses deep concern over the revocation of the Amnesty Law in Venezuela and its discretionary and limited application since it was unanimously approved on 19 February. Even while the law was in force, journalist and editor Rory Daniel Branker’s application was denied, with criminal proceedings continuing to hang over him following his release on 4 February, undermining his journalistic, intellectual, cultural, and civic rights.
Rory Daniel Branker, a journalist, columnist for various platforms, and editor of La Patilla, was detained on 20 February 2025 in Caracas by agents of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN), who intercepted him and forced him into a vehicle. That same day, authorities raided his home and confiscated two laptops and two mobile phones. On 26 February 2025, the Minister of the Interior and Justice, Diosdado Cabello, stated on his programme Con el mazo dando that Branker had been detained for allegedly extorting individuals through the publication of false information and other offences. Rory Branker, a journalist for the digital outlet La Patilla, was released from prison on 4 February after more than 11 months of arbitrary detention.
The Amnesty Law for Democratic Coexistence in Venezuela was approved on 19 February 2026, with the stated goal of promoting national reconciliation and facilitating the release of persons detained for political reasons. During the law’s approximately two months in force, more than 12,000 people applied for amnesty, of whom, according to official figures, 8,616 were approved, although the vast majority were already conditionally released from prison while subject to restrictive precautionary measures, leaving only a small number effectively released from prison.
On 23 April 2026, the law's end was announced, leaving an uncertain impact due to its flawed implementation, which has generated criticism regarding the law’s limited scope and the government’s unwillingness to address its pervasive use of judicial persecution.
PEN International observes with alarm that the abrupt nature of the Amnesty Law’s cessation leaves hundreds of people, still deprived of their liberty or subjected to restrictive judicial processes, without a pathway to the restoration of their rights, while leaving conditionally released journalists, including Rory Branker, in a legal limbo that casts a chilling effect on their ability to freely continue their journalistic work.
PEN International calls on the Venezuelan authorities to immediately withdraw all charges against Rory Daniel Branker and fully guarantee his rights; to ensure that his release is accompanied by the definitive closure of the criminal proceedings against him; and to put an end to the judicial persecution of journalists, writers, and critical voices.
Note to Editors
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