Venezuelan opposition leader Lopez sent home from prison

Bloomberg

Venezuela’s Supreme Court said early Saturday that the country’s most renowned political prisoner, opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, was transferred from military prison to house arrest after three years in jail.
Lopez, who’s been serving an almost 14-year sentence for allegedly inciting violence in a wave of protests against President Nicolas Maduro, left the Ramo Verde facility outside Caracas, where he was expected to be reunited with his family, Venezuela’s Supreme Court said. Lopez, 46, was granted the transfer on humanitarian grounds, based on health considerations and “indications of serious irregularities” in the proceedings related to the case, according to the statement.
The surprise announcement comes in the aftermath of a wave of almost daily anti-government protests in Venezuela that have left 90 dead since April.
Lopez has become a symbol for rights groups and foreign governments, who’ve said his detention including stints in solitary confinement — was evidence of the Maduro government’s disregard for human rights and due process. His release, as well as that of dozens of other jailed activists and politicians, has been a top demand among Maduro’s opponents. In February, U.S. President Donald Trump called for the “immediate” release of Lopez after a meeting with his wife, Lilian Tintori.
Human rights groups that have condemned Lopez’s incarceration were quick to welcome his release.
The move opens up a window for “national reconciliation” and brings Venezuela closer to a democratic exit from its “serious crisis,” Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States, wrote on Twitter.