Security

Venezuela: Maduro Pleads Not Guilty to Torture Charges

AI SUMMARY

Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife appeared in a US court to plead not guilty to newly unsealed torture charges.

Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, appeared in court in New York City on Thursday.
Maduro and Flores rejected newly unsealed torture charges, entering pleas of not guilty.
Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein scheduled their trial to begin on June 14, 2027.
The pair are currently in US custody after being seized from their Caracas home by the US military eight months ago.
The new torture charges have been added to drug-trafficking charges they previously faced.
The indictment accuses the couple of leading a state-sponsored repression campaign that tortured scores of victims, including three Americans, between 2013 and 2026.
Security forces are accused of torturing prisoners with electric shocks, beatings, and asphyxiation at Maduro's behest.
Maduro is personally accused of recommending torture methods, receiving updates, and threatening to kill a prisoner's child.
Cilia Flores is accused of helping develop the repressive system and ordering the torture of specific individuals.
The US indictment marks the first time Maduro faces accountability over torture allegations, though he has also been under investigation by the International Criminal Court.