Ecuador judge orders former president freed from prison News
Ecuador judge orders former president freed from prison

[JURIST] An Ecuadorian judge Friday ordered the release from prison of former president Lucio Gutierrez [Wikipedia profile], ruling that he was not a threat to national security. Ecuador's Attorney General's office has already said it will appeal. Gutierrez was arrested [JURIST report] in October and later jailed after calling his ouster by Congress [JURIST report] in April of last year illegal. After being forced out, he sought asylum in Colombia, but later returned home.

Shortly before his ouster Gutierrez dismissed the entire bench [JURIST report] of the Ecuadorian Supreme Court [official website] for a second time, claiming it was biased. He still faces trial for dissolving the tribunal. He has already declared his intention to run again for Ecuador's presidency, despite the fact that his current popularity rating is in single digits. AP has more.