Venezuela charges 4 opposition lawmakers with treason

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Venezuela's Supreme Justice Court (TSJ) has opened criminal probes against four opposition lawmakers, accusing them of treason and incitement to civil rebellion.

The move came after National Constituent Assembly, led by President Nicolas Maduro, lifted the immunity of Jorge Millan, Hernan Aleman, Carlos Lozano and Luis Stefanelli on Monday to open the way for judicial proceedings.

The TSJ said in a statement Monday that the cases opened at the request of the Attorney General Tarek William Saab, who has accused the lawmakers of conspiring to seize military installations in the northeastern state of Sucre.

The opposition lawmakers will face charges of "treason, conspiracy, instigation to the insurrection, civil rebellion, organized crime, usurpation of functions, public instigation to disobey the laws and continued hatred," according to the statement.

Juan Guaido, leader of the opposition-led National Assembly, denounced the move as another "persecution of dictatorship" to take over the only institution not under Maduro's control.

Since the beginning of the year, Venezuela has been embroiled in political unrest as Maduro and Guaido engaged in a power battle, while the country's economy has been in precipitous decline following a global downturn in the price of crude oil.