A young woman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in Venezuela for criticizing the government on social media, Agence France-Presse reported, quoted by BTA.
Merlis Oropesa, 25, was found guilty of "incitement to hatred" - a term that critics of the regime say is often used to suppress opposition voices. The verdict was handed down on June 23 in the northeastern state of Monagas.
Oropesa posted a critical comment on Facebook on August 9 last year, shortly after the controversial re-election of socialist President Nicolas Maduro, which was not recognized by the opposition. "It's a pity to depend on a bag of food," she wrote, referring to a government food program help.
During the same period, mass protests erupted in Venezuela against Maduro's re-election, in which 28 people died. Authorities detained 2,400 demonstrators, and according to official figures, about 1,900 of them have already been released.