(CNN) -- Venezuelan prosecutors dropped the most serious charges against opposition politician Leopoldo Lopez, whom the country's government blames for inciting clashes that have left at least five people dead.
Lopez, one of the leading opposition figures in Venezuela, was formally charged with arson and conspiracy, but murder and terrorism charges were dropped, said his attorney, Juan Carlos Gutierrez.
If convicted, Lopez could face up to 10 years in prison.
Lopez's legal team welcomed the reduced charges, though it criticized the way the judicial process was being carried out.
Wednesday night's hearing, to charge Lopez and determine whether he would be released or remain behind bars, took place in an unusual spot: a bus parked outside the prison where he is being held.
"It seems very unorthodox," Gutierrez told CNN en Español.
The initial court appearance was to take place in a courtroom, but because of security concerns, officials wanted to move it to the prison.
Gutierrez argued that inside a prison was not a proper venue for a hearing, so the strange solution was reached: the bus-turned-courtroom parked just outside the facility.
The prison, outside the capital, Caracas, is a military facility, and Lopez's defense has raised questions about why a civilian is being held there.
The response was that it was a place where the government could guarantee his safety, Gutierrez said.
Lopez turned himself in to authorities this week in a dramatic scene before tens of thousands of supporters he had called to the streets.
Anti-government protests in recent weeks are the largest demonstrations that President Nicolas Maduro has faced in his 11 months in power.
(CNN) -- Venezuelan prosecutors dropped the most serious charges against opposition politician Leopoldo Lopez, whom the country's government blames for inciting clashes that have left at least five people dead.
Lopez, one of the leading opposition figures in Venezuela, was formally charged with arson and conspiracy, but murder and terrorism charges were dropped, said his attorney, Juan Carlos Gutierrez.
If convicted, Lopez could face up to 10 years in prison.
Lopez's legal team welcomed the reduced charges, though it criticized the way the judicial process was being carried out.
Wednesday night's hearing, to charge Lopez and determine whether he would be released or remain behind bars, took place in an unusual spot: a bus parked outside the prison where he is being held.
"It seems very unorthodox," Gutierrez told CNN en Español.
The initial court appearance was to take place in a courtroom, but because of security concerns, officials wanted to move it to the prison.
Gutierrez argued that inside a prison was not a proper venue for a hearing, so the strange solution was reached: the bus-turned-courtroom parked just outside the facility.
The prison, outside the capital, Caracas, is a military facility, and Lopez's defense has raised questions about why a civilian is being held there.
The response was that it was a place where the government could guarantee his safety, Gutierrez said.
Lopez turned himself in to authorities this week in a dramatic scene before tens of thousands of supporters he had called to the streets.
Anti-government protests in recent weeks are the largest demonstrations that President Nicolas Maduro has faced in his 11 months in power.
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