Comayagua (Honduras) (AFP) – Honduran ex-president Juan Orlando Hernandez -- who was serving a 45-year prison sentence in the United States for drug trafficking until President Donald Trump pardoned him last year -- returned to his home country on Sunday.

After touching down in a private plane near the capital, Tegucigalpa, he traveled to a rally in the town of Comayagua.

Speaking at a farm in front of hundreds of supporters, Hernandez thanked Trump for the pardon.

"The most well-informed president in the world said: 'I reviewed it -- my team and I reviewed it in detail -- and a tremendous injustice has been committed here; it is a witch hunt, it is the use of the justice system as a political weapon,'" Hernandez said.

He is due to appear in court on August 3 to face fraud and money-laundering charges, which he denies, claiming to be the continued victim of "persecution."

He is accused of diverting $2 million in public funds to finance his first presidential campaign.

A judge suspended an arrest warrant against him after he agreed to appear voluntarily.

"The last thing I'm going to do is hang my head when the truth is on my side," he said.

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