Politics UN: Over 100 young people arrested during protests in Venezuela

In the course of protests against the presidential election in Venezuela, which has been overshadowed by allegations of fraud, numerous minors have also been arrested, according to the UN.

The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry for Venezuela reported that more than 100 children and adolescents were among the at least 1,260 people arrested. Parents are not allowed to accompany the court proceedings against minors.

Many of the arrests were made after those affected had taken part in protests or expressed their opinions on social media. The authorities had targeted the people in their homes.

According to the UN, of the at least 23 people who died in connection with the protests, 18 were young men under the age of 30. The vast majority of them were shot dead. The commission of inquiry called on the Venezuelan government to "end the escalating repression" since the elections on July 28 and to address the human rights violations committed.

After the election, the electoral authority, which is loyal to the government, officially declared President Nicolás Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, the winner. The opposition accuses the government of electoral fraud and claims victory for its candidate Edmundo González Urrutia. Several countries, including the USA, have also recognized González Urrutia as the winner of the election.