Defence lawyers had asked for case to be thrown out, claiming Maduro’s rights were violated following US abduction. The United States has agreed to ease certain sanctions on Venezuela in order to allow the country’s government to cover the legal fees for ex-president Nicolas Maduro , who is on federal trial in New York City for drug trafficking charges after being abducted by US forces in January. Maduro’s lawyer, Barry Pollack, had asked the Manhattan-based US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein to toss out the case in February, arguing that a prohibition on the government in Caracas paying the legal fees constituted a violation of Maduro’s legal right to the counsel of his choice. Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 Venezuela’s Maduro set to again appear in US court: How strong is the case?…