CARACAS, Venezuela — A man has died in custody following his detention amidst the civil unrest triggered by the contested presidential election in July. This incident marks the third reported death as noted by a prisoner rights organization.

According to the Venezuelan Prison Observatory, a non-governmental organization, the deceased was 43 years old and had been held at a detention center for over four months. The announcement of his death coincides with Venezuela’s chief prosecutor revealing that approximately 25% of the 2,000 individuals arrested during the post-election protests have received orders for their release from prison.

Reports indicate that the man was taken into custody on August 1 along with his son. He experienced severe abdominal issues in December, which officials attributed to “kidney colic.” However, his family alleged that he did not receive timely medical care and lacked accurate information regarding his health condition, as highlighted by the organization’s message on X. Notably, his son continues to remain imprisoned.

In a statement shared on Instagram, Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced that his office had reviewed cases associated with the civil unrest, leading to 533 release measures that had been “sought” and accepted by the judiciary. It remains unclear how many of these release orders have been carried out. Saab did not comment on the recent incidents of death while in custody.

President Nicolás Maduro instructed a review of these cases amidst mounting international pressure concerning the government’s crackdown following the election. This repression resulted in over 2,000 arrests, totaling both adults and minors. Venezuela’s ruling party has intensified its stance against dissent after both the party and opposition claimed victories in the July 28 election, which triggered widespread protests. Reports confirmed that no fewer than 24 individuals lost their lives during these confrontations, with a human rights organization blaming state security forces for some of the fatalities.

Demands have surfaced from the United States, European Union, and other left-leaning governments in Latin America, urging Venezuela’s National Electoral Council to produce detailed voting records to counter the claims made by Maduro’s adversaries. These claims assert that their candidate, Edmundo González, won by a substantial margin, two-to-one.

The United States, EU, and several nations formally recognized González as the legitimate winner of the election. Nevertheless, in September, the former diplomat fled to Spain as an arrest warrant was issued by Saab’s office following the online publication of the electoral data.