Honduras Supreme Court assigns judges to Juan Orlando Hernández cases

The Supreme Court of Honduras has appointed two natural judges to preside over legal matters involving former president Juan Orlando Hernández.

The first judge is tasked with reviewing a request from Hernández’s legal defense to lift a migration alert that has been in effect since April 2022. The alert was originally issued following an extradition request from the United States. While the U.S. criminal proceedings against the former leader have been extinguished, the judicial authority noted that the migration restriction remains active until a specific judicial ruling orders its removal.

The second judge will oversee a case involving an investigation by the Public Ministry into alleged corruption linked to the former president.

Melvin Duarte, director of the Judiciary’s communications unit, confirmed that these appointments are intended to advance the processing of these files. The judges are expected to begin reviewing the cases as early as next week.