International Criminal Court authorizes reopening probe into Venezuela security forces

By MIKE CORDER
Associated Press

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The International Criminal Court has ruled that international prosecutors should resume investigating alleged crimes against humanity in Venezuela by security forces under President Nicolás Maduro because the country’s own probe has fallen short. The court had suspended an investigation into alleged wrongdoing including use of excessive force and torture — its first in Latin America — after Venezuela asked to take over the case in April last year. Seven months later, Prosecutor Karim Khan sought to re-open his investigation, saying that Venezuelan efforts were insufficient.  Judges agreed, and the court said in a statement Tuesday that Venezuela’s investigation fell short of the intended scope of the probe.