Maduro Says New Torture Allegations Are ‘False Accusations’

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Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro told a judge that US allegations against him, including new claims that he conspired to torture US citizens detained in his country, are false.

Maduro, 63, made the statement at an arraignment in federal court in New York Thursday. Judge Alvin Hellerstein entered a not guilty plea on Maduro’s behalf after the former president failed to directly answer the judge’s questions about a plea. Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, 69, pleaded not guilty and said she was “completely innocent.”

Prosecutors in New York filed the new felony count last week, adding to the charges already lodged against Maduro and Flores. The government specifically alleged in a revised indictment that Maduro and Flores conspired in the torture of nine people, three of them US citizens. If convicted they could spend the rest of their lives in prison.

“I reject this document in entirety of false accusations and false testimony,” said Maduro, speaking through a translater.

Maduro waved at the judge as he left the courtroom. He and Flores are due to face trial in June.

The new charges are the first to be added to the case since the dramatic capture of Maduro and Flores in Venezuela in January during a US military operation. Prosecutors claim Maduro and Flores used violence, threats, torture and illegal detentions of perceived opponents to maintain their power in the face of a disastrous economy and internal unrest.

Read More: Maduro Faces New Charge of Torturing US Citizens in Custody

In addition to the new torture conspiracy charge against both defendants, prosecutors extended a charge of narco-terrorism conspiracy, previously made only against Maduro, to add Flores.

At the time of their arrest, prosecutors accused Maduro and Flores of using their government positions to conspire in enriching themselves and helping transport cocaine into the US. They are also charged with possessing machine guns. They pleaded not guilty. Maduro has also said he is immune from prosecution as the former leader of a sovereign nation.

They are being held until in a federal jail in Brooklyn that has been criticized by judges and defense lawyers for its poor conditions.

Hellerstein last week denied a request by Flores to be released into home detention, claiming prison authorities can’t adequately manage her healthcare needs. A lawyer for Flores told the judge in a bail hearing that she likely requires heart surgery.

Read More: Maduro Declares ‘I Am Innocent’ in First US Court Appearance