Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has dismissed as "false" new US allegations accusing him of conspiring to torture political opponents, while his wife, Cilia Flores, also declared her innocence during a court appearance in New York.

Maduro and Flores appeared before a federal court on Thursday to answer newly added charges of conspiracy to commit torture, which expand an existing US criminal case in which they already face drug trafficking-related charges. Both entered not guilty pleas.

Appearing in court wearing prison uniforms with shackles on their ankles, the couple spoke through Spanish interpreters. Maduro told the court the allegations were "false accusations," while Flores said she was "completely innocent."

The new indictment, filed last week by US prosecutors, accuses Maduro and Flores of participating in a conspiracy to torture political opponents and several US citizens as part of an alleged state-sponsored campaign of repression in Venezuela. Prosecutors say the torture charge has been added to the long-running narcotics trafficking case against the couple.

Both Maduro and Flores have consistently denied all allegations, including previous charges related to drug trafficking and narcoterrorism. If convicted on all counts, they each face a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 50 years under US law.

Flores' lawyers previously sought her release from pretrial detention, citing health concerns and the need for heart surgery, but the request was denied by the court.

Following the addition of the new charges, the court postponed the start of the trial to June 14, 2027, to allow both sides additional time to prepare their cases.(ILKHA)