BOGOTA (Reuters) – Former Venezuela opposition lawmaker Juan Requesens was sentenced to eight years in prison for alleged involvement in the 2018 explosion of two drones at an event attended by President Nicolas Maduro, his lawyer said on Thursday.
Requesens’ family and opposition leader Juan Guaido consider him a political prisoner and have denied his involvement in the case.
Requesens was detained for about two years between 2018 and 2020 in the case, which stems from explosions that rocked a military event where Maduro was giving a speech.
The government says the incident was a failed assassination attempt involving drones carrying explosives. Maduro has said Requesens was named by people arrested in the case.
“Leaving the hearing in the judgment of Juan Requesens who was sentenced to 8 years for the crime of conspiracy,” his lawyer, Joel Garcia, tweeted on Thursday morning, without giving further details.
Neither the ministry of communications nor the attorney general’s office responded immediately to requests for comment.
Opposition leader Guaido condemned the sentencing of Requesens. “Once again the dictatorship proves how the justice system is hostage and is an executing arm for persecution,” Guaido tweeted.
(Reporting by Vivian Sequera. Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb. Edited by Michael Williams.)
