INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL LAW: KIDNAPPING VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the provisions of international criminal law regarding the kidnapping of heads of state and to examine whether such acts can be categorized as violations of international law and human rights. The urgency of this research lies in the importance of maintaining a balance between efforts to eradicate international crimes and respect for the fundamental principles of international law. The alleged kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has become a significant issue in the study of international criminal law because it has sparked debate about the boundaries between the enforcement of international law and respect for state sovereignty. The issues examined include the legality of kidnapping a sitting head of state and its implications for the principles of state sovereignty, non-intervention, and the immunity of the head of state. The research method employed is normative legal research, utilizing a normative juridical, conceptual, and case study approach through an analysis of various international legal instruments, doctrines, and relevant literature. The results of the study indicate that the act of kidnapping or forcibly arresting a head of state without the consent of the concerned state and without a legitimate international legal mechanism constitutes a violation of the principles of state sovereignty, non-intervention, and the immunity of the head of state. Law enforcement regarding alleged international crimes must be carried out through mechanisms recognized by international law