A/HRC/45/CRP.11 sentence by 9 July 2015 when his release was ordered. It was ordered again in April 2017.1368 • María Magaly Contreras (Twitter: @marletmaga) was detained by SEBIN in Maracaibo on 30 October 2014.1369 She was a 55-year-old spiritual guide who published psychic predictions and prayers on Twitter, and offered consultations online. She was charged with public incitement and intimidation after tweeting a number of posts about upcoming storms, illnesses and power outages, among other messages.1370 695. The Twitter users, with the exception of Ms. Benítez, against whom charges were dropped, had been critical of the Government in their social media posts, either before or during the period surrounding Mr. Serra’s death. Public Declarations 696. Although none of the Twitter users were charged with participating in Mr. Serra’s homicide, public declarations by both President Maduro and Diosdado Cabello publicly linked them to the murder. 697. On 15 October 2015, President Maduro described a terrorist conspiracy to commit the murder during a two-hour press conference. He presented a video explaining the conspiracy featuring tweets from the Twitter profile of the psychic known as the “Negra Hipólita”, which predicted that the National Assembly would soon be in mourning.1371 698. The following day, Diosdado Cabello discussed the detention of Twitter users on his television programme “Con El Mazo Dando”. He provided their full names and profiles 1372 and said they had been arrested because of threats and insults they had published regarding Mr. Serra’s murder. Mr. Cabello claimed that the psychics and the other Twitter users were part of a psychological warfare campaign to sow panic in the population. 1373 699. The following day, President Maduro coined the expression “tweeters of terror” (“tuiteros de terror”) while speaking on televison. President Maduro again linked Twitter users to Mr. Serra’s homicide. He told Venezuelans, “All the tweeters of terror are in jail. They are all confessing. Because they did it. All of them. I want to congratulate our investigative agencies for the professional and scientific work they have done.” 1374 700. Four of the eight Twitter users pleaded guilty to charges against them. Those who spoke with the Mission explained that they had pleaded guilty to crimes they had not 1368 1369 1370 1371 1372 1373 1374 152 Mission interview with Victor Ugas on 30 July 2020. See also La Patilla, Madre de Victor Ugas pide entre lágrimas a Saab que la ayude a sacar a su hijo de la cárcel, 17 November 2017, available at: https://www.lapatilla.com/2017/11/24/madre-de-victor-ugas-pide-entre-lagrimas-a-saab-que-laayude-a-sacar-a-su-hijo-de-la-carcel/; https://twitter.com/VictorUgas_/status/947174687750131713; Espacio Publico, Los tuiteros Leonel Sánchez y Víctor Ugas fueron liberados, 12 January 2018, available at: http://espaciopublico.ong/los-tuiteros-leonel-sanchez-victor-ugas-fueron-liberados/. https://twitter.com/ForoPenal/status/527946157973340160; https://twitter.com/VTVcanal8/status/528033240503054336. Venezuela Awareness, 1 Nov Vidente zuliana es la séptima tuitera detenida por opinar, 2 November 2014, available at: http://www.venezuelaawareness.com/2014/11/1-nov-vidente-zuliana-es-laseptima-tuitera-detenida-por-opinar/; https://twitter.com/ForoPenal/status/527946157973340160; Infobae, Venezuela: Ya son siete los tuiteros detenidos por ‘opiniones inadecuadas’, 1 November 2014, available at: https://www.infobae.com/2014/11/01/1605875-venezuela-ya-son-siete-lostuiteros-detenidos-opiniones-inadecuadas/ YouTube Video, Cara de Lentes, COMPLETO: Nicolás Maduro da información sobre asesinato de Robert Serra, 15 October 2014, minute 00:24:00, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB_fMQ9r34 YouTube Video, Noticias Venezuela, Cabello confirma detención de "la negra Hipólita, 16 October 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZv7fnQqMhg&lc=Ugi_HLh_rC5qx3gCoAEC Ibid., minute 02:55. YouTube Video, Cara de Lente, “Presidente Maduro informa de 4 nuevos capturados por asesinato de Robert Serra,” 17 October 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VUXPwGvY3Q.