Ex-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is returning to federal court to face torture allegations

Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are set to reappear in a New York courtroom on Thursday, facing an updated indictment. The charges allege that they orchestrated a state-sponsored campaign of torture, resulting in physical and psychological abuse of numerous victims, including three Americans.

The pair were apprehended by U.S. military forces in a covert raid on their home in Caracas earlier this year. Their attorney, Barry Pollack, confirmed that Maduro, 63, denies the allegations and anticipates his upcoming court proceedings. The indictment, a replacement for a previous drug trafficking charge, alleges that Maduro oversaw a brutal torture system, recommending methods, monitoring victim treatment updates, and even threatening to kill a prisoner's child.

Cilia Flores, 69, a former attorney general, is accused of developing the repressive system and ordering some specific tortures. Both Maduro and his wife have pleaded not guilty to these charges, with their legal team seeking to dismiss the case on grounds of diplomatic immunity. The revised indictment covers allegations of torture dating back to Maduro's presidency in 2013, following the death of his mentor, Hugo Chávez.