Venezuelan justice granted full freedom to Judge María Lourdes Afiuni after more than 15 years of legal proceedings

Venezuelan authorities have granted full freedom to Judge María Lourdes Afiuni, bringing a definitive close to her long-standing legal case, according to an announcement by her family on Friday in Caracas. Afiuni had been widely considered a political prisoner following her detention under the administration of the late President Hugo Chávez, who ruled the country from 1999 to 2013.

The resolution of the case marks the end of a high-profile judicial proceeding that drew significant domestic and international attention regarding the independence of the judiciary and human rights in Venezuela. The closure grants Afiuni complete exoneration from the restrictions she faced following her initial arrest.