Ex-President Nicolas Maduro, Wife Plead Not Guilty To Torture Charges In New York Court

ISTANBUL, Oct 16 (NNN-Anadolu) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, entered not guilty pleas Thursday in federal court in New York to an expanded indictment charging them with conspiracy to commit torture, Anadolu Ajansi reported, citing local media.

Speaking through an interpreter before the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, Maduro dismissed the charges as a repackaging of previously presented false claims, declaring his rejection of the revised filing, CNN reported.

Flores, whose house arrest petition was recently denied, similarly asserted her innocence against the allegations, which accuse the couple of torturing Americans and other individuals held in Venezuelan custody in recent years, alongside existing narcotics and weapons offences.

The judge approved a joint request from defence and government attorneys to delay the trial start by two weeks, rescheduling the proceeding to begin June 14, to accommodate preliminary filings. The court set a subsequent hearing for December 17 to address the defence's arguments to dismiss the case.

Meanwhile, demonstrators gathered outside the courthouse during the arraignment to stage protests against Maduro and Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez.

The prosecution follows a US military operation in January that captured the couple in January and flew them to New York to face federal charges, after which Washington recognised an interim administration led by Rodriguez.

--NNN-ANADOLU