A/HRC/41/18 48. OHCHR interviewed the relatives of 20 young men killed by the Special Action Forces between June 2018 and April 2019. All interviewees described similar modus operandi. Members of the Special Action Forces would arrive in black pickup trucks without licence plates and block access points to the area. They were dressed in black, without any personal identification and with balaclavas covering their faces. They would also carry long guns. Families of the victims described members of the Special Action Forces breaking into their houses, taking their belongings and perpetrating gender-based violence against women and girls, including forced nudity. They would separate young men from other family members before shooting them. According to the interviewees, almost all of the victims had one or more shots to the chest. 49. In every case, witnesses reported how the Special Action Forces manipulated the crime scene and evidence. They would plant arms and drugs and fire their weapons against the walls or in the air to suggest a confrontation and to show the victim had “resisted authority”. In many cases, the Special Action Forces brought the victims to a hospital even though they were already dead, apparently with the intention of manipulating the bodies and modifying the crime scene. In some cases, the authorities declared that the victims were criminals before the conclusion of a formal investigation. 50. The authorities classify the killings resulting from security operations as resistance to authority. The number of these deaths is unusually high. In 2018, the Government registered 5,287 such killings, 38 while the non-governmental organization Observatorio Venezolano de la Violencia reported at least 7,523 killings under this category. 39 Between 1 January and 19 May 2019, the Government reported 1,569 killings for resistance to authority. 40 The Observatorio Venezolano de la Violencia reported at least 2,124 such killings between January and May 2019.41 Information analysed by OHCHR suggests many of these killings may constitute extrajudicial executions. 51. Taking into account the profile of the victims, the modus operandi of the security operations, and the fact that the Special Action Forces often maintain a presence in the communities after the operation ends, OHCHR is concerned the authorities may be using the Special Action Forces and other security forces as an instrument to instil fear in the population and to maintain social control. 52. In addition, OHCHR documented the cases of six young men executed by the Special Action Forces in reprisal for their role in anti-government protests in 2019. These extrajudicial executions took place during illegal house raids after demonstrations had ended and followed the modus operandi described above. IV. Access to effective justice and adequate reparation for victims 53. The Government has recognized that a problem exists regarding access to justice for all people and has asked OHCHR to help them resolve this issue. According to the Government, as at June 2019, 44 persons are detained and 33 arrest warrants have been issued against persons for their alleged responsibility for killings during demonstrations in 2017 and 2019. Five members of the Special Action Forces have been convicted of attempted murder, misuse of a weapon and simulation of a punishable act, for events that occurred in 2018. In addition, 388 members of the Special Action Forces are under investigation for murder, cruel treatment and illegal house raids committed between 2017 and 2019. 54. The majority of victims of human rights violations highlighted in the present report have had no effective access to justice and remedies. According to interviewees, few people 38 39 40 41 Information provided by the Government. Observatorio Venezolano de la Violencia, “Informe anual de violencia 2018”, available from https://observatoriodeviolencia.org.ve/ovv-lacso-informe-anual-de-violencia-2018/. Information provided by the Government. Information provided by Observatorio Venezolano de la Violencia. 11