"Journalist Rory Branker, editor of the digital news outlet La Patilla, was released from prison this Wednesday [Feb. 4] after 11 months and 15 days of arbitrary detention. The National Union of Press Workers (SNTP, for its acronym in Spanish) confirmed the news: family members received an official call notifying them of his release in the afternoon.
Branker has been in custody since Feb. 20, 2025, when agents of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) arrested him in Caracas. Authorities charged him with treason, financing terrorism and conspiracy, crimes that carry sentences of up to 30 years in prison.
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The SNTP condemned the detention as unjust and linked to the practice of journalism. The release represents a partial step forward amid global criticism of the repression against the independent press in Venezuela. No immediate details emerged regarding the conditions of the release or any subsequent restrictions, but the journalistic community hailed it as a victory against the criminalization of the profession."
