"Both Maduro and Flores declared themselves unable to afford their lawyers, and are demanding that the Venezuelan state cover the bill, arguing that this is stipulated by their country's legislation."
"The presiding judge, 92-year-old Alvin Hellerstein, rejected the defense's request to dismiss the case after the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control denied the defendants permission to use Venezuelan government funds to pay for their defense."
"Venezuelan law does not establish an obligation for the state to pay the fees of private lawyers representing individuals criminally accused in legal proceedings."
Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores are undergoing legal proceedings in the Southern District Court of New York for narcoterrorism charges. During the hearings, both claimed they cannot afford legal representation due to U.S. sanctions. The judge denied their request to dismiss the case, despite their argument that Venezuelan law mandates state coverage for legal fees. U.S. law does not allow access to public funds from their home country for legal defense in federal court, complicating their situation further.
Read at english.elpais.com
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