The United Nations released a report on Tuesday revealing “gross human rights violations” in Venezuela before, during, and after the July 28 elections. These violations include arbitrary detentions, torture, short-term enforced disappearances, and sexual violence.

The report, conducted by the UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission, contends that these crimes were “part of a coordinated plan to silence critics and perceived opponents.” Among the victims were children and people with disabilities.

The investigation documents multiple and increasing violations and crimes committed by Venezuelan state-actors, such as the government and security forces, as well as pro-government armed civilian groups.

President Nicolás Maduro has claimed that he won the election, despite serious concerns about the transparency of the vote count and opposition candidate Edmundo González’s assertions that he was the real winner.

Several countries, including Argentina, have recognized González as the true winner of the election and warned about human rights violations in Venezuela. A group of Venezuelan citizens that took refuge in Argentina have also reported being victims of or witnessing torture, kidnapping, and murder in their home country. A federal criminal court used these accusations as a basis to request that Interpol arrest Maduro and other Venezuelan officials and extradite them to be investigated.

According to the new UN report, Venezuelan detainees are threatened and tortured in order to incriminate themselves for serious crimes, such as terrorism. This includes children and teenagers, who, on top of being threatened, are not receiving the special protection measures required by international law. Due to the lack of evidence and the absence of lawyers of their choice, victims who are forced to self-incriminate could face “disproportionately high prison penalties.”

The report adds that some of these human rights violations can be described as a crime against humanity of persecution on political grounds based on the identity of the victims.

“During the first days of post-election protests, there were at least 25 deaths, including of two children, all but one of whom were killed by gunfire,” the UN stated. Although there is not enough evidence to establish responsibility for those deaths, the mission concluded that state security forces and pro-government civilian groups used firearms in at least eight of those cases.

Hundreds of others have been injured, while thousands more have been detained during protests.

The UN mission will continue to investigate human rights violations in Venezuela. They have called on Maduro’s government to release all those who have been arbitrarily detained and respect their physical and psychological integrity, as well as their right to due process.