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Venezuelan victims of unrest seek tougher sentence for opposition leader

Xinhua, February 19, 2017 Adjust font size:

Venezuelan victims of the 2014 unrest on Saturday filed a petition, calling for a tough sentence against opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, who has been sentenced to nearly 14 years in jail for his role in fomenting anti-government sentiment in 2014.

After Venezuela's Supreme Court upheld the conviction against Lopez earlier this week, a committee representing the victims called on the Prosecutor's Office to reassess the sentence, calling the 13-year-and-9-month sentence "derisive."

"We believe the sentence of the Supreme Court against Lopez is derisive, and that is why we are asking them to reopen the investigation," committee member Desire Cabrera told reporters.

Lopez is the founder of a right-wing movement called "The Exit," which aimed to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by inciting unrest.

Since September 2015, Lopez has been serving a nearly 14-year sentence on charges of inciting unrest at anti-government protests in 2014, in which 43 people were killed and 800 others were injured.

The ruling of the highest court came just a day after U.S. President Donald Trump called for Lopez's release during a White House meeting with the wife of the activist. Endi