Cape Verde Attorney General Luis José Landim has confirmed that his country has no obligation to comply with an African court order to house Colombian businessman Alex Saab, the president’s alleged ringleader, under house arrest. of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro.
Landim referred to the decision of the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to which Cape Verde belongs.
The Court of Justice ruled on November 30 that this island country in West Africa must immediately place Saab under house arrest, detained in Cape Verde since June 12 at the request of the United States. who has requested his extradition for alleged money laundering offenses.
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The employer – who has been in pre-trial detention since June 14 – alleges health problems that require the attention of a physician outside the prison in which he is incarcerated, So the ECOWAS Court requested that he be granted house arrest for access to his family, doctors and lawyers.
However, Landim said on Friday, after meeting with Jorge Carlos Fonseca, Cape Verdean president, that his country it has not ratified the protocol granting jurisdiction to court in human rights cases,.
“When I talked about this, I said I had some doubts, but now I’m sure. No Green has ratified this protocol granting jurisdiction to ECOWAS Court on human rights,” he told reporters after to address this issue with Fonseca.
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The court, based in Abuja, Nigeria, has jurisdiction to hear individual complaints about possible human rights violations since the adoption of its 2005 Protocol.
Lacy has insisted that “there is no legal basis” for the application of the community court ruling. “If the court has no jurisdiction, it cannot decide on this issue,” the attorney general concluded.
The prosecutor added that the Saab case will continue its legal proceedings in Cape Verde, with the Public Prosecutor’s Office awaiting the decision of the Court on his extradition to the United States.
Alex Saab was captured in Cape Verde on June 12. The United States is requesting his extradition.
The Court of Appeals of Barlavento, based on the northern island of San Vicente, already refused last Tuesday to comply with the order of the ECOWAS Court with the same argument used by the Attorney General.
Saab’s lawyers urged Cape Verdean Prime Minister Ulysses Correia and Silva to comply with African court order.
The lawyers even threatened to “ask the competent ECOWAS body to impose sanctions on Cape Verde for not fulfilling its obligations.”
If the court has no jurisdiction, it cannot decide on this issue: Attorney General of Cape Verde
Two days later, the Venezuelan government, which claims the businessman has Venezuelan nationality, expressed his “concern” over the delay by Cape Verdean authorities in putting the alleged Maduro ringleader under house arrest.
The ECOWAS Court as well admitted Saab’s status as “special envoy” of Venezuela, an argument used by the defense to allege that his arrest is illegal because “he was entitled to personal inviolability” because of this status.
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The businessman was arrested on June 12 when his plane made a stopover to refuel at Amilcar Cabral International Airport on the Cape Verdean island of Sal (north), following a request from the US. UU. Run through Interpol for alleged money laundering. The Cape Verdean government and court have approved Saab’s extradition, although the defense has appealed against this court’s decision to the Supreme Court.
EFE