OMM Redaksiyası
US prosecutors in New York are expected to bring new charges against Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, over the alleged torture of Americans held in Venezuelan government custody, CNN reported Wednesday.
The allegations concern the wrongful detention of more than a dozen Americans in Venezuelan prisons during Maduro’s years in power, according to people briefed on the investigation.
US investigators have also discussed charging several other people over their alleged roles in the mistreatment, potentially widening the case beyond Maduro and Flores.
The expected charges would add to the criminal case the couple already faces in the United States. They were captured during a US military raid on the presidential palace in Caracas in January and have pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism. They are being held without bail in New York.
The investigation focuses on Americans who were detained in Venezuelan prisons and allegedly tortured or otherwise mistreated while in government custody. The sources did not identify those involved or describe the alleged acts.
It was not clear whether prosecutors would add the allegations to the existing case or bring them separately. The sources also did not provide details about the evidence or identify any additional people who might face charges.
Any new allegations would have to be proven in court, and the defendants would be entitled to challenge them as the legal proceedings continue.
