KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — UPDATE (Nov. 17, 2021): According to Matthew Heath's family, the East Tennessee veteran who served in the Marines has been on trial in Venezuelan court every Tuesday for the last five weeks. He was accused by the Venezuelan government in early 2021 of being a terrorist and spying for former President Donald Trump.
On Nov. 16, Heath's family said that a witness discredited a previous witness in the trial. The witness originally said that Heath bribed him so he could enter Venezuela, but he is now saying that he was tortured into making that claim and had lied in previous hearings.
Heath's aunt, Trudy Rutherford, also said that a man tried to discredit the claim that the witness was tortured. She also said that she spoke to Heath over the phone on Monday.
During that conversation, Rutherford said Heath was maintaining his innocence throughout the whole trial. He has not signed a confession on the Venezuelan government's claims. She also said that she gets calls from him every week.
She said she had not received a confirmation that Heath would appear in court again on Nov. 23.
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An East Tennessee Marines veteran, Matthew Heath, was in Venezuelan court Feb. 17 after he was accused of being a terrorist and of spying for former President Trump.
He will return to court for a trial on June 17, according to officials.
His family said that he wasn't allowed to have a lawyer during the first hearing. They also denied the Venezuelan government's accusations. U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann also issued a statement about Heath's detainment.
“We are approaching six months since Matthew Heath was unjustly detained by the Maduro regime in Venezuela. My office is monitoring developments from today’s hearing and I remain deeply concerned about Mr. Heath’s ability to receive due process," Fleischmann said.
He said that the Venezuelan government has not been transparent about the case, and has not followed international norms for the court case. His office is in contact with Heath's family, the Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Columbia, according to the statement.
He said that he will continue pushing for Heath's release so he can return to his family in East Tennessee.
His family said that the U.S. government has been working on his case, but as of June 11, they still have not been able to talk to him or see him. They have been able to speak with an attorney about his case.