Name Ivan Simonovis Role Police detective | Spouse Bony Pertinez Children Ivana Simonovis | |
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Iván Antonio Simonovis Aranguren (born 3 March 1960 in Caracas) is a Venezuelan criminal science expert and security consultant, who acted as police chief during the events of April in 2002 in Caracas. Coming from a working-class family he started his career as the detective in 1981. He created the first Venezuelan SWAT Team (BAE) in collaboration with other international law enforcement units like the German GSG9 and various American Police Forces. He was arrested in November 2004 accused by the Hugo Chávez government of the violence that took place in Caracas in April 2002. In 2009 he was found guilty and sentenced to serving a 30 years sentence in the Ramo Verde Prison in the outskirts of Caracas. With a deteriorated health, has requested humanitarian pardon in several occasions, all denied by the venezuelan government. Simonovis is considered a political prisoner by many human rights advocates. On September 2014, he was granted house arrest to continue his medical treatment.
