A court in Venezuela said Friday it had rejected an appeal for the release of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, who is accused by the government of inciting deadly protests. In Caracas, the appeals court said the complaint filed by Lopez's attorneys was "without merit." Lopez, the leader of the Popular Will political party, was arrested on February 18. The court has until April 5 to decide whether to put him on trial. He has been charged with arson, damage to property, inciting the public, and conspiracy. Student-led protests erupted February 4 in the western border city of San Cristobal and quickly spread to the capital and other cities. At least 37 people have been killed in clashes with security forces since the beginning of the unrest, the worst challenge yet to the year-old government of President Nicolas Maduro. -- SPA 14:38 LOCAL TIME 11:38 GMT تغريد
