Alex Saab: Cape Verde’s Attorney General Maintains Stance Against Alleged Illegal Arrest Despite ECOWAS Ruling

…Rejects Ruling Of ECOWAS Court

The Republic of Cape Verde through its Attorney General, Luís Landim, has on Monday restated its position regarding the purported illegal arrest of Alex Saab, while rejecting the ruling of the ECOWAS’ Court on the matter.

A statement by the Attorney General said, “the archipelago authorities still maintain the same position as always in relation to the extradition of Alex Saab to the United States.”

Mr Landim, in a statement by his press officer, Emerson Costa, said “the position of the Attorney General’s Office has not changed in relation to the extradition process of Mr Alex Saab or regarding the acceptance of jurisdiction or the supremacy of the jurisprudence of the ECOWAS Court of Justice over the domestic legal order” of Cape Verde.

“With regard to internal procedures in Cape Verdean justice, the process of the alleged special envoy and diplomat from Venezuela to the United States is currently in the hands of the Supreme Court of Justice (STJ), after the Windward Court of Appeal (TRB) ruled in favor of the claims of the Government of Cape Verde, the PGR and the United States, in the sense of extradition.”

This is following the ruling of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) court that the arrest and detention of the Venezuelan diplomat, Alex Saab, by Cape Verde was illegal.

The court had ruled that the diplomat should be released and be paid $200,000 for unlawful detention.

CityMirrorNews recalls that Saab was arrested on June 12, 2020, during a stopover at Amilcar Cabral International Airport on the Island of Sal by the Cape Verdean government.

He was traveling to Venezuela from Iran.

The Cape Verdean government arrested the diplomat based on an international arrest warrant purportedly issued by Interpol at the request of the United States.

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan authorities have continued to call for Mr Saab’s unconditional release, adding that he had diplomatic immunity at the time he was arrested.

In its December 20, 2020 ruling, that ECOWAS Court had ordered the Republic of Cape Verde to place Mr Saab under permanent home detention in good conditions, including access to medical treatment and visits.

The court also ordered that the applicant should not be extradited pending the decision of the court on the substantive suit.