Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
US prosecutors on Thursday charged ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, with conspiracy to commit torture. The charge stems from allegations that they tortured political opponents and an American citizen to protect their grip on power.
The charge was added to the couple’s existing drug trafficking case in Manhattan federal court. A conviction on the torture conspiracy charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 50 years.
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The indictment is the first time Maduro himself has faced US criminal charges over alleged torture, despite years of allegations against Venezuelan officials. The superseding indictment details alleged instances in which Venezuelan security forces tortured people accused of threatening Maduro’s government.
In one case, prosecutors said Maduro ordered the arrest of a Venezuelan military officer in 2013 after suspecting him of planning a coup. The officer was subsequently interrogated by members of Venezuela‘s military counterintelligence directorate, according to the indictment.
Prosecutors said the officers shocked the man with a live electric wire around 20 times during the interrogation. They also allegedly suspended him by his hands and feet for several minutes at a time.
AMERICAN CITIZEN ALLEGEDLY TORTURED
The indictment also describes the alleged torture of an American citizen who was detained in Venezuela in 2022.
According to prosecutors, the American was accused of conspiring to assassinate Maduro. Military counterintelligence officers allegedly beat the person and used electric shocks on their arms, legs and genitals.
The new charge therefore extends the case beyond alleged crimes against Venezuelan political opponents. US prosecutors are also alleging that an American citizen was subjected to torture as part of efforts to protect Maduro’s government.
US Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department had continued investigating the couple’s alleged conduct since their capture.
Since their capture and arrest, the US Justice Department “has been working to uncover the extent of their alleged crimes against the people of Venezuela and of the United States,” Blanche said in a social media post.
MADURO AND FLORES CAPTURED IN CARACAS
Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, were captured by the US military on January 3 at their home in Caracas and taken to New York to face the drug charges.
The couple have pleaded not guilty to those charges and have remained in custody at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center since their capture.
Their trial is scheduled for June 1, 2027.
The case has unfolded against a long history of tensions between Washington and Caracas. Maduro ruled Venezuela for 13 years under the country’s socialist government, while US officials and human rights organisations repeatedly accused Venezuelan authorities of torture and other abuses against detainees.
Venezuela has since increased cooperation with the United States under the leadership of Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s former vice president.
JUDGE DENIES FLORES’ REQUEST FOR RELEASE
The new charges came as Flores suffered a separate setback in court. US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is overseeing the case, rejected Flores’ request to be released from jail before trial because of her health.
Her lawyers argued that Flores needed a cardiac procedure and wanted her to recover in a more comfortable setting. They proposed moving her to a residence in the New York City area with round-the-clock private security.
Her legal team also argued that she was not a danger to the community. Prosecutors opposed the request. They said Flores had received adequate medical care at the detention centre and argued that she posed an “extreme” flight risk if released.
They also warned that she could pose a danger to the public, including through possible witness intimidation.
Hellerstein rejected the request after considering the evidence against Flores and her condition during Thursday’s hearing.
The judge said Flores appeared relatively healthy in court. She wore a dark prison T-shirt and used a headset to listen to a simultaneous Spanish translation of the proceedings.
– Ends
With inputs from agencies
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
