ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Saturday, February 27, 2021
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Alex Saab

Ambassador Alex Saab. (PHOTO CREDIT: wikibioage.com)

Venezuelan ‘diplomat’ detained in Cabo Verde appeals U.S. extradition ruling

A lower appeal to stop the Venezuelan's extradition to the U.S. had been rejected.

bySamson Adenekan
January 16, 2021
3 min read
ADVERTISEMENT

The detained Venezuelan government ‘diplomat’, Alex Saab, has appealed a Cabo Verdean court ruling assenting to the United States of America extradition request.

Having lost at a lower court, an appeal to stop Mr Saab’s extradition to the U.S. was again rejected by the Barlavento Court of Appeal last week, intensifying the legal and diplomatic debate.

Background

Following his arrest by the Cabo Verde security operatives at Interpol’s requests in late June 2020, the Venezuelan government identified the businessman as its diplomat on ‘humanitarian mission’ to Iran, an argument the tiny island court has dismissed.

“At the time of his hearing and validation of his extradition, he did not present any diplomatic passport or proof of statute in Special Envoy sent by the Venezuela government, as required; by the TRB,” a part of the court ruling seen by PREMIUM TIMES, read.

Meanwhile, there was a ruling from ECOWAS Court before the above judgement, mandating Cape Verde, as one of its member states, to halt all extradition proceedings against the Venezuelan government’s ‘official’ until its main hearing, scheduled for February 4, 2021.

The court also ruled that the detained ‘diplomat’ be placed on house arrest by the country’s authority and allowed to receive medical care, a ruling both Mr Saab’s lawyers and doctor told this newspaper has not been adhered to.

Appeal grounds

However, in an appeal filed before the Cape Verde Supreme Court of Justice, and obtained by PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday night, Mr Saab’s legal team contested the judgement on the ground that the U.S. extradition process is alien to the country’s legal system and other international laws.

“About the specialty rule, according to articles 54.3 and 40.2.3.4.5; The extradition process does not meet or respect the requirements of international human rights instruments ratified or contained in the Cape Verde system (article 6.1.a) of the LCJ); There are, well-founded reasons to assume that cooperation is requested in order to persecute or punish the Applicant because of his political or ideological beliefs or his belonging to a specific social group (Article 6.1b) of the LCJ),” a part of the 118 pages document read.

A source within the current Cape Verdean government told PREMIUM TIMES the country does not have an extradition treaty with the U.S. and hinted on the pressure the case is generating within the country’s party.

RelatedNews

Amidst COVID-19, Lassa fever death toll rises in Nigeria

Niger Govt revises number of rescued Kagara schoolboys, silent on ransom

Four killed, chief imam, 25 others kidnapped in fresh attack on Kagara

Dangote Group compensates Ondo accident victims – Officials

READ ALSO: Cape Verde court ignores ECOWAS order, approves extradition of Venezuelan man to U.S.

Also leveraging on Mr Saab’s recent appointment to the African Union and the ECOWAS court ruling, his legal counsel argued that the decision contained in “[ECW/ CCJ/ APP/ 43/20] binds the State of Cape Verde to the Revised ECOWAS Treaty and the ECOWAS COURT protocols, consequently, it also binds the Tribunal da Relação de Barlavento; (Opinion 01 and 02)”.

“The judgment under appeal, in its unsustainable lightness, fails to mention which articles of the Constitution were invoked…

“Even not knowing what articles are at stake and what constitutional rules and principles were alleged by the appellant, the judgment under appeal comes to the brilliant conclusion that there is no reason to defend the alleged unconstitutionality without indicating the norms and principles of the constitution and obviously without any elaboration in the judgment under appeal on them,” they further noted in the submitted argument to the apex court.

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

No date has been fixed for the case yet.

Foreign minister resigns

While the legal and diplomatic debate on Mr Saab’s detention continue to generate questions in Cape Verde, the country’s Foreign Minister, Luís Tavares, has resigned his position after learning that country’s honorary consul in the United States, Caesar DePaço, is a financial supporter of the ultra right Chega party in Portugal with a base in Florida.

Sources allege the former minister was working closely with U.S. President Donald Trump’s supporters from Florida and Mr Saab was allegedly part of the deal.

PREMIUM TIMES contacted the former foreign minister through email for comments, but he has not responded yet.

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: To advertise here . Call Willie +2347088095401...


JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Disqus (3)
premiumtimes



PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

Ikere Gorge Dam: Nigeria’s abandoned hydropower, fish production facility

Next Post

Ighalo hints at MLS move after Manchester United exit

Samson Adenekan

Samson Adenekan

More News

Dangote truck rams into shops in Ondo

Dangote Group compensates Ondo accident victims – Officials

February 27, 2021
A cross section of the Dubawa 2020 fact-checking fellows flanked by the Dubawa and PTCIJ teams.

Dubawa graduates 22 fact-checking fellows from three countries

February 27, 2021
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) boss, Abdulrasheed Bawa. [PHOTO CREDIT: Bashir Ahmad Twitter handle]

Beware of fake Bawa accounts on Twitter, EFCC warns

February 27, 2021
Orosanye Report: Nigeria scraps NAPEP, FRC, merges aviation agencies

Nigerian stocks shed N1.36trn in February on worsening investor sentiment

February 27, 2021
sars police

Police free abducted Bayelsa civil servant

February 27, 2021
Salihu Tanko

SSS arrests Ganduje’s aide after asking Buhari to resign over insecurity

February 27, 2021
Next Post
Odion Ighalo

Ighalo hints at MLS move after Manchester United exit

UNILORIN gate used to illustrate the story.

UNILORIN announces resumption dates

Discussion about this post

Search

#EndSARS: Latest Updates




Polaris Bank


JAIZ Ad


NITDA Ad





Glo Ad

Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,625,869 other subscribers.

Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert

Zenith Advert
ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
    • Dubawa NG
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.