At the hearing of the continued detaining of Venezuelan diplomat, Alex Saab, the grounds for Cape Verde’s neglect of ECOWAS ruling topped discussions.
Mr Saab’s status as a diplomat has been brought to question after his arrest in June 2020 at the request of the United States of America for alleged financial crimes.
While the debate around what the law says on his detention in Cape Verde continued to generate debates, over 200,000 protesters took to the streets of Venezuela to demand his release on Monday.
Until recently, Mr Saab was held in the country’s prison against the ECOWAS court order that the diplomat be placed on house arrest until its main hearing on February 5, after three consecutive
adjournments.
Saab was reluctantly released and placed under house arrest in late January.
However, the Cape Verdean representative, Henrique Borges, at the Friday hearing, insisted that the court lacks jurisdiction to decide the case as it has “not signed and, consequently, not bound by the Additional Protocols of ECOWAS Court” and dismissed Mr Saab’s diplomatic status.
Mr Saab’s was reported to be on a special mission to Iran when his private jet had a stopover to refuel at the island’s airport in Sal.
In an interview with this reporter after the hearing, the Venezuelan diplomat’s legal team, led by Femi Falana, faulted Mr Borges arguments by using the Revised Treaty (Article 15) and Additional Protocols 2005.
“Cape Verde cannot claim that Alex Saab is not a diplomat as he is a Special Envoy to Iran and recognised in that role by Iran” it was stated
