“Terrorism” charges have been brought against four journalists who were arrested during the unrest following the July 28 presidential election in Venezuelathe Press Workers Union (SNTP) announced today, complaining that journalists are unable to choose their advocates.

“We denounce the illegal and arbitrary use of anti-terrorism laws in Venezuela, particularly against journalists arrested during the post-election protests in the country,” SNTP said in a statement released on social media yesterday, Wednesday.

Photographers Yusner Alvarado (Barinas, western Venezuela) and Daisy Pena (Miranda, central Venezuela), cameraman Paul Leon (Trujillo, western Venezuela) and journalist José Gregorio Carneiro were charged with terrorism and imprisoned.

“In all cases, they were denied recourse to private defense,” the union underlines.

The riots that followed the announcement of the outgoing president’s victory Nicolas Maduro, claimed the lives of 24 people, according to a tally updated yesterday, Tuesday, by human rights organizations. For his part, Maduro announced the death of two members of the national guard and the arrest of more than 2,200 people.

Among those arrested are opposition leaders, including journalist Roland Carreno, an executive of the Voluntad Popular (VP, Popular Will) party.

The prosecutor’s office also announced that it had opened a criminal investigation against opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Orutia and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who released a joint statement calling on the military to side “with the people.”

Last Friday, the National Electoral Council confirmed Maduro’s victory with 52% of the vote, but without making public all the minutes of the polling stations, assuring that he was the victim of cyber-hacking.

According to the opposition, which released minutes obtained thanks to its own poll monitors – the validity of which is disputed by Maduro – Gonzalez Urrutia won the presidential election with 67% of the vote.