Cape Verde National Police Deny Foreign Doctors Access To Alex Saab Despite Court Order

Despite the order given by the Court of Appeal of Barlavento, the National Police in Cape Verde have denied a team of foreign doctors access to embattled Venezuelan diplomat, Alex Saab. 

Saab was arrested and detained in Cape Verde based on the request of the Donald Trump led United States government during a stop over on his way to Iran.

He was arrested over allegations of money laundering, a move the Venezuelan government faulted with claims that the businessman is its special envoy on a humanitarian mission.

Ever since his arrest and detention , Saab has not been given access to any member of his family as well as his defense team despite three court rulings granting him the right to do so.

However, Court of Appeal of Barlavento, had on June 17 ruled that “specialists appointed by the defense are authorized to verify the state of health of the extradited person”.

Ahead of the doctors arrival from Venezuela, Saab’s defence team had, based on request of the National Police in Cape Verde, it was gathered presented the names of the doctors in order to authorize the entry. 

Despite this, the National Police refused to allow the doctors visit Saab.

The Police force argued that it was unaware of the ruling by Court which granted them access. 

Incidentally, the United Nations Human Rights Committee also issued a recommendation to that effect.

The Venezuelan government claimed that before his arrest, Saab had been on a mission to get food and medical supplies in Iran, stopping over in Cape Verde where he was arrested by security operatives.

The failure of Cape Verdean authorities to obey the ruling of the ECOWAS court by extraditing Saab to the US is not the first contempt for court order by the authorities since his detention last year. 

Saab was denied access to any member of his defense team despite three court rulings granting him the right to do so.