Alvarado’s defense had filed an appeal in which he denounced the violation of the principle of immediacy, which requires the physical and continuous presence of the judge during the hearings to guarantee a fair assessment of the evidence and the exercise of the right to defense.
The Court of Appeals of the state of Cojedes annulled the 15-year prison sentence imposed on journalism student Juan Francisco Alvarado for the alleged crime of inciting hatred, the National Union of Press Workers (SNTP) reported this Saturday.
In a statement released by the union, the appeal court pointed out the existence of serious violations of due process in the original trial, including the lack of sufficient evidence, the absence of witnesses and the violation of the right to defense. For these reasons, the Court ordered that the criminal process be repeated before another court and a different judge.
#SNTPAlert | The Court of Appeals of the Cojedes state annulled the 15-year prison sentence against journalism student Juan Francisco Alvarado, accused of inciting hatred.
The Court determined violations of due process, including lack of evidence,… pic.twitter.com/xoGuAv6p22
— SNTP (@sntpvenezuela) January 24, 2026
Alvarado’s defense had filed an appeal in which they denounced the violation of the principle of immediacy, which requires the physical and continuous presence of the judge during the hearings to guarantee a fair assessment of the evidence and the exercise of the right to defense. Furthermore, the lawyers had maintained that the commission of the accused crime was not proven.
*Read also: Margareth Baduel questions official figures on the release of political prisoners
In its statement, the SNTP affirmed that the initial sentence was “arbitrary” and welcomed the decision of the Court of Appeals, although it emphasized that Alvarado’s freedom has not yet been achieved. Currently, the student remains detained at the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) Command in Cepella, Guanare, Portuguesa state, while awaiting a new trial.
The union organization recalled that Alvarado, 31, was arrested in March 2025 after being accused of inciting hatred for publications on social networks and comments critical of the performance of the authorities, a practice that sectors of civil society and human rights organizations have linked to a pattern of criminalization of dissent and freedom of expression in the country.
*Journalism in Venezuela is carried out in a hostile environment for the press with dozens of legal instruments in place to punish the word, especially the laws “against hate”, “against fascism” and “against the blockade.” This content was written taking into consideration the threats and limits that, consequently, have been imposed on the dissemination of information from within the country.
Post Views: 84
