NEW YORK, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday proposed starting his criminal trial in June 2027, according to a court filing.
"Accordingly, the parties jointly propose the following schedule for discovery, pretrial motions, and trial ... Trial to commence: June 2027," the document read.
The proposal came ahead of a hearing in Maduro's case scheduled for Wednesday in Manhattan federal court.
The parties said in the filing that they might seek changes to the schedule, which, however, will ultimately be set by U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is overseeing the case.
On Jan. 3, U.S. military forces launched a large-scale strike against Venezuela and forcibly seized Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, before transporting them to New York. The U.S. attacks have shocked the international community, triggering a stream of condemnation and serious concerns worldwide.
During his first arraignment on Jan. 5, Maduro pleaded not guilty to all U.S. charges against him, including drug trafficking.
The couple has been jailed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, since their seizure in Caracas. ■