Honduras drops arrest warrants for ousted Manuel Zelaya

Honduras drops arrest warrants for ousted Manuel Zelaya
Manuel Zelaya at the UN - 30 June 2009 Mr Zelaya denies he planned to change the constitution to allow his re-election
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A Supreme Court judge in Honduras has dismissed three arrest warrants for former President Manuel Zelaya.

The move allows Mr Zelaya to return without detention to Honduras, where he was ousted in a coup in June 2009.

Judge Oscar Chincilla said Mr Zelaya still faced corruption charges over his plan while president to hold a vote on changing the constitution.

Mr Zelaya has said the charges are politically motivated and he wanted them dropped.

He now lives in the Dominican Republic.

President Porfirio Lobo has said he would like to see a legal solution that would allow Mr Zelaya's return.

There have been clashes in recent days in the capital, Tegucigalpa, between security forces and supporters of Mr Zelaya, who are demanding his return.

He was ousted in a military coup and put on a plane to Costa Rica before he could hold a non-binding referendum on changing the constitution.

Critics say the changes would have removed the one-term limit on the presidency, allowing his re-election. He denied he was seeking re-election.

The referendum was ruled illegal by the Supreme Court and Congress, and was opposed by the army.

His ousting sparked an international uproar and left Honduras politically isolated for several months.

However, a period of relative stability began with the election of Mr Lobo as president in the November 2009 elections.

More and more governments, including the US, have recognised the Honduran government's legitimacy and re-established the ties cut during the height of the crisis. Sightline Payments
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