Honduras Supreme Court appoints two judges in Hernández cases — The Rio Times

On October 16, 2026, the Supreme Court of Honduras appointed two judges to consider cases involving former President Juan Orlando Hernández. One of them will consider the defense's motion to lift the travel restriction, while the other will review case materials in proceedings concerning alleged corruption, The Rio Times reports.

Travel restriction

The migration restriction on Hernández has been in effect since April 2022, when he was detained following a US extradition request. Judiciary spokesperson Melvin Duarte said that a judge's decision is required to lift the restriction and remove the relevant entry from the National Migration Institute's registry.

According to Duarte, the criminal case against Hernández in the United States has been closed. On September 26, the former president's defense appealed to the Supreme Court to have the restriction lifted. Attorney Angie Colindres said it should have ceased to be valid after Hernández's extradition in April 2022.

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Separate proceedings

The second judge will review materials in proceedings being investigated by the prosecutor's office on suspicion of corruption linked to the former president. The Supreme Court appointed the judges but made no decisions on the merits either regarding the travel restriction or these proceedings.

Colindres also maintained that the travel restriction is connected to the extradition procedure to the United States and is separate from the Pandora II case. In the Pandora II case, the court issued a final decision to close the proceedings on September 1, 2026, which the prosecutor's office and the Office of the State Attorney General appealed in an appellate court.

Duarte said that the appointed judges may begin reviewing the materials from October 19. The judges' names, the hearing date, and the deadlines for decisions were not disclosed.