“The ambassador is surrounded by soldiers and police officers who live next door and monitor him 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. These soldiers carry machine guns even when delivering their meals“.
This is one of the sections of a statement in defense of Álex Saab, appointed representative of Nicolás Maduro, complaining about the conditions of house arrest, a benefit I have been asking for since December: Cape Verde has historically made them available to convicted criminals. “
(We invite you to read: Cape Verde launches 5 warnings regarding the extradition of Álex Saab)
His defense, which now calls him an ambassador, says he “wants to point out that the conditions of his house arrest are completely irregular and that they continue to directly affect his health and right to defense and are considerably more serious than those granted in the past to traffickers.” of drugs convicted in Cape Verde. “
(You may be interested: Alex Saab has been transferred to a secret, highly guarded place) The new complaints come 48 hours after the Supreme Court, which has extradition in its hands, warned that the process is in its final stages and that the legal program has been respected.
This is the Hilton Hotel in Cape Verde, where Saab has said it will be transferred.
From Marriot to “fortress”
EL TIEMPO had already anticipated that Saab, prosecuted for a mega money laundering operation related to the Maduro regime, was complaining about his house for imprisonment.
Nearby sources told the newspaper that he was pointing to him in the presidential suite of the luxurious Marriot Hotel in Cape Verde. And he came to a city where his eyes could not be seen.
(Also: Warning: Álex Saab receives house arrest)
“As regards his ability to communicate with his lawyers and his family, the conditions are more limited than those which Cape Verde has historically made available to convicted offenders (…) who are denied access to he cannot write to your family without correspondence being read by the police, and as regards your right to have privileged conversations with your lawyers, they can only take place with drones flying overhead if
I’m going out in the yard, “says the defense.
Baltasar Garzón, a former Spanish judge, continues to insist that Saab has an alleged immunity.
Controlled communications and drones
Before, Saab could call his family every day. Now, according to his defense, the only phone he can use is one belonging to the police. And during the two hours of permitted use of the mobile phone, a member of the police must be present.
“You are denied access to the Internet without being able to write to your family without it
That the correspondence is read by the police and, regarding their right to have privileged conversations with their lawyers, they can only take place with drones flying over the place if they go out in the yard “, they say.
(Also: What does the US say about Saab being Maduro’s plenipotentiary ambassador?)
Moreover, they insist that the defendant’s medical care remains precarious.
“So far, the requests to be examined by medical specialists of his choice remain unanswered,” they note.
Nicolás Maduro appointed Saab its plenipotentiary ambassador to Africa in December in an attempt to shelter him with alleged immunity.
Diplomat or fugitive?
According to the defense, this is in direct contradiction with the order of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, but goes against all the rules of house arrest for an unconvicted person and certainly unacceptable for a diplomatic agent. “
(See here all the articles of the EL TIEMPO Investigation Unit)
But it is clear to US justice that Saab is not a multi-potential ambassador (a position given to him at the last minute) and that he also has no immunity.In fact, a government that is not recognized by more than 60 countries and the new Biden administration cannot claim such procedural privileges.
In addition, the deployment of judicial, diplomatic and media mechanisms for the release of Saab confirms that it is a key part of the regime. In fact, his defense says he replaced Maduro, who was unable to travel to Iran due to the pandemic.
INVESTIGATION UNIT
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