The defense of Venezuelan diplomatic agent Alex Saab published four unpublished videos to show the truth of a process full of irregularities. They show images of his family, the dungeon where he is, testimonies from his doctor and evidence of his health problems. Everything is done in the midst of the kidnapping and torture of the Cape Verde regime, at the request of the US Government.
The videos, obtained by the Colombian media El Tiempo, are part of the defense of Saab’s group of lawyers. Its purpose is to show the truth of the Venezuelan special agent, after the Cape Verde Court of Appeals approved, last January 4, his extradition to the United States.
Saab is indicted without any evidence by a federal court in Miami. They accuse him of a supposed «mega-operation of money laundering of over 350 million dollars», linked to the Venezuelan Government. However, Saab’s defense insists that it is a political retaliation.
Since December, Saab has been an extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador, alternate permanent representative of Venezuela to the African Union. The political persecution against him is also suffered by Venezuelans through the total blockade imposed by Washington. In his case, the retaliation is because he is in charge of looking for options to bypass the blockade and access medicine and food.
The content of the videos
In the first video, Saab appears next to his wife, the Italian Camila Fabbri, with whom he has two daughters. There, they explain why his capture is illegal and how 200 days went by without his legal situation being resolved.
In the images, they insist on his diplomatic status and the testimony of an expert oncologist is recorded. This doctor says that Saab suffers from stomach cancer, has lost 26 kilos and is in poor physical condition.
“Prisoners, even convicts, and Álex Saab is not one, have the right to medical care. Saab needs medical care. I went to Cape Verde and it is clear that they do not do blood tests, or endoscopies, or consult with an oncologist or, more pertinently, a gastroenterologist. None of this has been done to him”, he denounced.
In fact, part of his defense presents habeas corpus, appeals and requests for home release. Others also request a humanitarian permit from Cape Verde for Saab, for medical reasons.
Saab is persecuted for bringing food and medicine to Venezuela
Russell Martha, Interpol’s former director of legal affairs, is part of Saab’s advocacy team. In another video, she denounces that his capture is unprecedented. She remembers it being done while she was on a food and medicine search mission to Venezuela.
“You have a special envoy from a sovereign state on a diplomatic mission to a third country. He made a technical stop in Cape Verde to refuel and he was arrested. This is unprecedented. There is no example in history where this has happened ”, denounces Martha.
Likewise, she describes the red circular ordering the international arrest of Saab as irregular. “I am surprised that the authorities in Cape Verde did this. The red circular is dated June 13, Saab was arrested on June 12. That is, he was arrested based on a red circular that did not exist».
The lawyer also sends a clear warning to Cape Verde. “Small countries need international law. They need courts to protect them, because they have no economic, military or political power to protect themselves. Cape Verde, as a small country, should think twice before violating these fundamental principles of international law ”.
Saab’s diplomatic inviolability
Meanwhile, the former Spanish judge and also a lawyer for Saab, Baltasar Garzón, insists on the recurring manner in which the immunity of his defendant has been violated.
“Alex Saab had and has diplomatic immunity and inviolability. At the time of his capture, he was a diplomatic agent appointed by a sovereign government like that of Venezuela», said Garzón.
He added that “Saab is a Venezuelan citizen on a special mission. We have demonstrated this with the documentation that, curiously, was seized by the police ”.
In this regard, he adds that his diplomatic immunity was not taken into account “by any Cape Verdean authority. This decision is very serious and it confronts Cape Verde with an international breach that at some point may turn against it ”.
What comes next?
In another video, the lawyer and human rights activist Femi Falana speaks: «Neither the United States nor Cape Verde can decide who is sent as a diplomat by the Venezuelan government», because it is a sovereign right of each country.
For Falana, the United States and Cape Verde «are unaware of Saab’s diplomatic status». All this – she assures – could generate a strong punishment for Cape Verde in the coming weeks, with millionaire fines for keeping him kidnapped.
The videos are known just as the Supreme Court of Cape Verde reviews the Saab file. This instance will decide whether or not to extradite him to the United States. In Washington they consider him a key piece in reaching the supposed «hidden fortunes» of «the leaders of the regime». They also want to get information from him about Venezuela’s agreements with Iran, Turkey and Russia.
Although Washington considers it a ‘done deal’ that Saab will be extradited, the defense of the diplomat warns that the process has not been completed. In addition, it describes the information according to which the United States already has a plane ready to take him to a jail in Miami as ‘muckraking’.
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