Detention of Juan Requesens
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Juan Requesens, a deputy of the Venezuelan National Assembly, was arrested as a suspect in the Caracas drone attack, an alleged assassination plot on the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The circumstances of his arrest and detention are controversial,[1][2] and irregularities surround the legal proceedings.[3] Requesens was imprisoned in El Helicoide[4] from his arrest on 7 August 2018, with allegations of torture to coerce a confession,[lower-alpha 1] and delays impeding the legal process and hearings[5] until his release on 28 August 2020.[6]
Requesens' detention has been condemned by the National Assembly – as well as international diplomats, politicians and organizations – and large protests have been held in Venezuela demanding that he be freed.[lower-alpha 2] His relatives and fellow politicians have stated that he was arrested for criticizing Maduro.[7] The National Assembly condemned the detention of Requesens as a forced disappearance.[8] Voice of America writes that Requesens' detention has become symbolic of human rights abuses in Venezuela.[9]
The Twitter hashtag "#YoMeNiegoARendirme" – Spanish for "I refuse to give up" – became a popular slogan for his case,[10][11] and a creed for the opposition.[12]