María Lourdes Afiuni obtains her full freedom after nearly a decade of persecution

One of Venezuela’s longest justice stories came to an end. Venezuelan justice announced the full freedom of María Lourdes Afiuni, the judge known as “Chávez’s personal prisoner” after spending nearly 10 years detained or under house arrest.

The case

Afiuni, who reported being tortured and sexually abused during her confinement, suffered mistreatment that allegedly caused lifelong injuries. Her case became an international symbol of judicial persecution: the judge was jailed in 2009 for ordering the release of a detained businessman, in an episode the then-president Hugo Chávez publicly celebrated.

The closing of the file

Venezuelan justice definitively closed the case after nearly a decade of persecution, house arrest and delicate health problems. Human rights activists celebrated the decision, although they lamented that the judge could not benefit earlier from any measure of grace.

The key figure

Nearly 10 years. The time María Lourdes Afiuni spent in the Venezuelan judicial system before recovering her full freedom.