Former Czech President Vaclav Havel joined numerous petitions calling for the release of ex presidential candidate Oswaldo Álvarez Paz

The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) joined numerous prominent individuals and international organizations calling for the immediate release of ex presidential candidate and former governor of the state of Zulia, Oswaldo Álvarez Paz.

In a letter sent to Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez, the human rights watchdog declared Álvarez Paz a prisoner of conscience of his government.

Last week, playwright and former Czech President Vaclav Havel -who also heads the HRF's International Council- called for the immediate release of the Social Christian leader.

In a legal report on the Álvarez Paz case released on Monday, HRF warned that both the imprisonment of the opposition leader and the arrest of Guillermo Zuloaga, the chief executive officer of private TV news channel Globovisión, could have a devastating chilling effect on what is left of freedom of expression in Venezuela.

"Venezuelans can speak their mind, but if their view offends the President, they only have one option left: go to prison," said Javier El-Hage, HRF's General Counsel.

The legal HRF's report determined that the actions taken against the Venezuelan politician violated the international human rights legal standard on freedom of expression, established in the American Convention on Human Rights, ratified by Venezuela.

Source: ElUniversal.com