Nicolas Maduro and Wife Appear in New York City Court

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores appeared before a federal court in New York City on Monday for a hearing on alleged “narco-terrorism” and other charges.

Maduro, who was abducted by US special forces from his home in Caracas two days prior to the court appearance, pleaded not guilty to the charges. He stated that he was captured and maintained his innocence, describing himself as a “decent man” and the president of his country.

The hearing took place at 12pm EST, with Maduro and his wife being led into the courtroom by officers wearing blue jail uniforms. They both wore headsets to hear the English-language proceeding as it was translated into Spanish.

Maduro’s lawyers plan to contest the legality of his arrest, arguing that he is immune from prosecution as a sovereign head of a foreign state. The Venezuelan leader’s attorney, Barry J Pollack, stated that there are questions about the legality of his military abduction and that pretrial filings will be submitted to address these challenges.

The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, had previously stated that Maduro was responsible for attacks against the people of the United States and for destabilizing the Western Hemisphere. Venezuela’s ambassador to the UN, Samuel Moncada, accused the US of carrying out an illegal armed attack against his country.

A group of protesters gathered outside the courthouse, while a smaller group of pro-intervention demonstrators were separated from them by police. The hearing marks the beginning of a long legal battle over whether Maduro and his wife can face trial in the United States.

The court has scheduled a hearing for March 17, with Maduro ordered to appear before Judge Alvin K Hellerstein at that time.

Source: Al Jazeera