Judge approves extradition of former Honduras president to US – Al Jazeera English

Juan Orlando Hernandez, who faces drug trafficking and firearms charges, has three days to appeal the decision.
A Honduran judge has authorised the extradition of former President Juan Orlando Hernandez to the United States on drug-trafficking and firearms charges.
The decision was announced on Wednesday on the Twitter account of the Central American country’s judicial authority.
Hernandez, who was arrested in mid-February following the US extradition request, has three days to appeal the judge’s decision, according to a judicial spokesperson.
US authorities say that the right-wing former leader participated in a drug-trafficking scheme between 2004 and 2022.
He is also accused of accepting millions of dollars in bribes to protect drug traffickers from investigation and prosecution, and carrying, using, or aiding and abetting the use of weapons.
Hernandez, who was replaced as president in January by leftist Xiomara Castro, has denied any wrongdoing.
Xiomara Cas­tro, a left-wing leader, is due to be sworn in on Thurs­day to be­come the coun­try’s first fe­male pres­i­dent.
Ob­servers hope the coun­try’s in­com­ing pres­i­dent will make a real ef­fort to tack­le cor­rup­tion and so­cioe­co­nom­ic crises.
Ex­perts raise con­cern over po­ten­tial fraud in Sun­day’s vote, which could end con­ser­v­a­tive Na­tion­al Par­ty’s 12-year rule.
How the events of 2009 in Hon­duras shaped my world­view.
Follow Al Jazeera English:

source