The surprise release of the opposition leader came after years of political negotiations.
RIO DE JANEIRO — Venezuela ’s top court announced on Saturday that Leopoldo López, the country’s most prominent political prisoner, had been released from a military prison and would be held under house arrest.
In posts on Twitter, the Supreme Court said the transfer was a “humanitarian gesture” in response to Mr. López’s unspecified health problems.
The case has been the subject of intense political negotiations since Mr. López, the founder of the political movement Voluntad Popular, or Public Will, was arrested in the wake of large street demonstrations in February 2014.
In September 2015, he was sentenced to more than 13 years in prison for inciting violent protests. Human rights advocates assailed the proceedings as unfair. Lacking firm evidence, prosecutors argued that Mr. López had used subliminal messages to stoke violence.
Mr. López’s wife, Lilian Tintori, has been a relentless advocate for her husband abroad and at home. She routinely posts videos to millions of followers on social media accounts documenting her unsuccessful attempts to visit her husband in the notorious Ramo Verde prison on the outskirts of Caracas. In February, Ms. Tintori met briefly with President Trump, who posted a photograph with her on his Twitter account and called for Mr. López’s immediate release.
Mr. López’s relatives and lawyers have called his treatment in prison cruel and appalling. They accuse prison staff members of keeping him in solitary confinement for long periods and of withholding food at times.
It was unclear what negotiations led to Mr. López’s release from prison. Jared Genser, an American human rights lawyer who has represented Mr. López, confirmed his release in a text message. He said he had no details about what led to the decision. Javier Cremades, a Spanish lawyer who has been representing Mr. López, said on Twitter that Mr. López had made no concessions.
“Giving Leopoldo López house arrest shows how desperate and divided they are, ” he wrote, calling the move “a sign of the weakness of a regime that is cornered.”
The transfer comes after months of daily protests against President Nicolás Maduro’s government that have left more than 90 people dead.
