"Venezuela is a nation with a profound human rights crisis," Cedeño said.  "Judicial independence is non-existent, with judges publicly declaring loyalty  oaths to the president and chanting his praises at the Supreme Court."

Cedeño was imprisoned in 2007 without trial. He was declared a victim of  arbitrary detention by the U.N. Human Rights Council, according to U.N. Watch.  He was released by Venezuelan Judge Maria Lourdes Afiuni, who quickly came under  fire by the Chávez regime after her ruling.

"That same day, she was arrested and the next day Venezuela's president went  on television calling her a 'bandit' and giving orders to the attorney general  and to the president of the Supreme Court to apply the maximum penalty of 30  years of prison," Cedeño said.

Afiuni remains under house arrest despite no trial. She is reportedly  battling cancer.

"I am only one victim, Judge Afiuni is another. Let's not forget that  millions of Venezuelans are targets of a government that does not respect the  Universal Declaration of Human Rights," Cedeño told the U.N.