A/HRC/45/CRP.11 910. At around 9 p.m. on 28 June, DGCIM officers drove Captain Acosta Arévalo from the courtroom to the hospital. The drive lasted around five minutes by car, according to the DGCIM police record.1632 According to a medical record to which the Mission had access, Captain Acosta Arévalo reached the hospital with no vital signs. 1633 An electrocardiogram was performed at 9.30 p.m. confirming that Captain Acosta Arévalo had no heartbeat. 911. The CICPC lists the hospital’s morgue as his place of death.1634 However, people are generally taken to the morgue once already deceased, raising questions about the exact time and place of death. Between 28 and 29 June 2019, no one – including family members or his lawyer – was allowed access to the hospital, as per instructions from DGCIM officers. 1635 912. Captain Acosta Arévalo’s death was not officially announced until 29 June 2019. That day, the FANB, via the Ministry of Defence, issued a press release stating, “On Friday 28 June 2019, [Captain Acosta Arévalo] was presented before the Military Criminal Judge […] and before commencing, he fainted”.1636 The press release stated that Captain Acosta Arévalo died, despite receiving medical attention. 913. On 28 June 2019, Sinue Villalobos, from the Directorate of Forensic medicine of the SENAMECF, undertook an external examination of the corpse in hospital morgue. The Mission had access to the examination report.1637 According to the report, he had 38 injuries, 30 on the front and eight on the back of his body. Captain Acosta Arévalo had a broken nasal septum, abrasions on the shoulder, elbows and knees, and bruises on various parts of his body, including thigh, buttocks and back. Captain Acosta Arévalo’s body also showed a fracture in one foot and signs of burns on his foot and on his wrist. 914. According to the police investigation report, Captain Acosta Arévalo’s body was transferred to the directorate of the National Service of Medicine and Forensic Science (SENAMECF), in Colinas de Bello Monte on 28 June 2019. Forensic anatomic pathologists working for SENAMECF and CICPC officers were present for the autopsy, as were representatives of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.1638 915. The Mission had access to the autopsy results. The procedure established cause of death as severe cerebral edema (fluid retention or swelling) from acute respiratory failure, due to rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown) caused by generalized polytrauma (having been subjected to multiple traumatic injuries).1639 His family requested access to his cadaver to carry out an independent autopsy, but received no response.1640 916. On 9 July 2019, Judge Norelys León of the Thirty-Sixth Court of Control granted a request from the Public Prosecutor’s Officer for a controlled burial.1641 On 10 July 2019, over 10 days after Captain Acosta Arévalo’s death, family members were called to the Bello Monte morgue to identify the body. The body was buried later that day, although not in 1632 1633 1634 1635 1636 1637 1638 1639 1640 1641 Police Record No. DGCIM-DEIPC-AP- 431/1/2019, on file with the Mission Provisional medical report dated 28 June 2019 from the General Directorate of Health of the Military Hospital Dr.Vicente Salias, on file with the Mission. Documents No. 9700-017-25093, No. 9700-017-25094, No. 9700-017-25095, signed by the head of the Homicide Investigation Division of the Corps of Scientific, Criminal and Criminalistic Investigations (CICPC), on file with the Mission. Mission Interview with Alonso Medina in April 2020. Ministry of Defense, Official statement of the FANB, 29 de Julio 2019, available at: http://www.mindefensa.gob.ve/mindefensa/2019/06/29/comunicado-oficial-de-la-fuerza-armadanacional-bolivariana-3/. Record of removal of cadaver, signed by Inspector Richard Perdomo assigned to the Homicide Investigation Division and Detective Jefe Katherine Olivares assigned to the Technical Inspections división of the CICPC, 28 June 2019, criminal case file No. 36C-19.464-19, on file with the Mission. Necropsy included in Initial Act of Criminal Investigation, 29 June 2019, Homicide Investigation Division, CICPC, criminal case file No. 36C-19.464-19, on file with the Mission. Ibid. Mission interview with lawyer Alonso Medina in April 2020; Mission Interview with Waleska Pérez on 24 April 2020. Correspondance FMP-34 NN-0189-2019 from the Public Prosecutor´s office on 9 July 2019; and correspondence 670-19 of the Thirty-Sixth Court of Control of the Criminal Judicial Circuit of the Metropolitan Area of Caracas, signed by Judge Norelys León Zaa on 9 July 2019, on file with the Mission. 183