A/HRC/45/CRP.11 individual was hiding in a house in La Cotara sector, Aragüita parish. 2150 Once there, the military officers detained a 16-year-old boy, taking him from his home without a search or arrest warrant.2151 He was arrested along with three other young men who were later released.2152 1207. The teenager was transferred to the military base in La Alfarería Bell and detained with three other young men. Soldiers dropped tear gas canisters from a hole in the ceiling and then covered the hole.2153 After an hour, the young man began to feel sick and was transferred to Caucagua’s Dr. Rivero Saldivia Hospital. By the time he arrived, he showed no signs of life.2154 1208. The soldiers told the doctor that the teenager had an epileptic seizure. 2155 Former Attorney General Luisa Ortega Díaz stated that “when the doctor, a brave doctor, saw that situation, she said that this was not an epileptic attack, because the person was too injured, with a skull fracture and other injuries”.2156 The health centre contacted the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which performed an autopsy and determined that the cause of death was mechanical asphyxiation due to bronchial aspiration, general polytrauma and head trauma. 2157 The autopsy report also found multiple contusions, bruises, hematomas and swelling over the body.2158 The Public Prosecutor’s Office Investigation 1209. After the discovery of the bodies in November 2016, the Public Prosecutor’s Office reported that it was going to order custodial measures against 12 soldiers for the death of the 12 men.2159 The former Attorney General publicly condemned these acts. She called on the “governing body in charge of this type of operations, to review them […] because, although it is true that it is necessary to take measures to combat crime, these cannot be carried out compulsively, violently against an entire population and especially against the most vulnerable”.2160 According to the former Attrney General and the then Ombudsman, the 12 men had no criminal records.2161 1210. The investigation was entrusted to a multidisciplinary team from the Public Prosecutor’s Office. It was coordinated by the former Director General for procedural action with the Sixty-Second national and Tenth local Public Prosecutor’s Offices. The investigation team included experts in criminalistics, forensic professionals and psychologists. It was supported by the CICPC and the Medicine and Forensic Sciences National Service.2162 1211. Former Attorney General Luisa Ortega Díaz highlighted “the determined participation of the Minister of the Interior and Justice, Minister Reverol, who contributed important elements to clarify the events, Commissioner Douglas Rico, as well as the participation of an 2150 2151 2152 2153 2154 2155 2156 2157 2158 2159 2160 2161 2162 238 Document C4FF11 on file with the Mission. Public Prosecutor’s Office, Informe anual 2016, p. 22, available at: https://transparencia.org.ve/wpcontent/uploads/2016/07/Informe-anual-2016-MP.pdf. Mission Interview C4FF09 in February 2020. Public Prosecutor’s Office, Informe anual 2016, p. 22, available at: https://transparencia.org.ve/wpcontent/uploads/2016/07/Informe-anual-2016-MP.pdf. Documents C4FF11 and C4FF12 on file with the Mission. Mission Interview C4FF09 in February 2020. Venevisión News, Entrevista Venevisión: Luisa Ortega Díaz, Fiscal General de la República, 30 November 2016, minute 12:54, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm3NWIJULQM. Documents C4FF11 and C4FF12 on file with the Mission. Document C4FF11 on file with the Mission. Noticiero Venevisión, Entrevista Venevisión: Luisa Ortega Díaz, Fiscal General de la República, minute 04:45, 30 November 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm3NWIJULQM. Ibid., minute 17:10. Ibid., minutes 15:27 and 15:51. See also Noticias Venevisión, Saab confirmó que los 12 asesinados en Barlovento no tenían antecedentes penales, 29 November 2016, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhavh_4lrq8. Public Prosecutor’s Office, Barlovento: informe sobre víctimas y hechos ocurridos en Barlovento: masacre a 12 personas, February 2017, p. 6, available at: https://lortegadiaz.com/wpcontent/uploads/2017/12/barlovento-ultima-version4-16-05-2017.pdf.