Conditions of Saab's house arrest completely irregular - Lawyers for detainee
Lawyers of Alex Saab, the embattled Venezuelan diplomat currently held
in Cape Verde, have described as "completely irregular", the conditions
of his house arrest, a press statement said to have been issued by the
defense team on January 4, 2021 details.
According to the team, the conditions for Mr. Saab "continue to directly
affect his health and his right to defense and are significantly worse
than those afforded in the past to convicted drug traffickers in Cape
Verde."
Mr. Saab, a Colombian businessman linked to Venezuelan President Nicolas
Maduro, was reportedly arrested by police in Cape Verde in June last
year on his way to Iran aboard a private jet.
According to Times Union, U.S. officials believe Saab holds many secrets
about how Maduro, his family, and top aides allegedly siphoned off
millions of dollars in government contracts amid widespread hunger in
the oil-rich nation.
The U.S. wants him extradited to face charges of corruption, but
Venezuela has taken a stance against that decision as Mr. Saab’s lawyers
fight to stop the process.
He had been in prison until Monday, 25 January 2021 when he was put under house arrest after his application was approved.
Notícias do Norte had reported that Saab “will be staying in a residence
that was already being prepared for this purpose. Security will be
maintained by elements of the PNs Intervention Corps and also by
elements of private security.”
Since then, his lawyers have been in the news for some treatments
allegedly meted out to them, including claims that authorities have
denied them entry into the house to see their client.
On January 27, 2021, for instance, Pinto Monteiro, a member of the
defense team told the media “I went to visit Mr. Saab, a policeman
wanted to search me. He ordered me to put my hands on the wall. And he
wanted to see my lawyer papers about the case. I refused. I refused to
allow him to search my papers and they won’t allow me to visit him.”
While the lawyers continue to contend that the detention of their client
is unlawful, they have in Thursday's release outlined the conditions of
the house arrest they find problematic.
Portions of the statement read:
The defense team repeats that the conditions under which the so-called
house arrest of Ambassador Saab is being conducted are outrageous, for
example:
1. Lawyers cannot have privileged communications with their client.
2. Commander Orlando Evora, Regional National Police Commander, has not
responded to requests for the specialist medical attention and medical
examination Ambassador Saab as a cancer patient requires.
3. Communication with the family is only permitted for a short period
each day and only then with the use of mobile phone belonging to the
police and the conversations being held in the presence of the police.
4. Members of Ambassador Saab’s security team, which is monitoring the
activity of the soldiers and police, are being arrested every day on the
premise of ID verification despite being presented with ID cards at the
time of arrest and taken to the police station where they were
harassed.
These are just more irregularities in a long line of irregularities
which began on 12 June 2020 with the illegal arrest of Ambassador and
Special Envoy Alex Saab.