The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela made an appeal to the Honorable Governments of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to enforce the ruling of the Court of Justice of that African integration organization where it calls for the release of Alex Nain Saab Moran and to be placed under house arrest due to his fragile health condition.
According to a statement issued by the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, the call is made due to the refusal of the Cape Verdean government, who do not acknowledge the jurisdiction of ECOWAS despite the fact that Cape Verde is part of that organization and has accepted to be a full member of the Court.
In this regard, Venezuela reminded ECOWAS that Mr. Saab was detained in Cape Verde at Washington’s request, when the aircraft carrying him had to refuel in order to continue his trip to Iran, thus ignoring the diplomatic inviolability and immunity corresponding to his character as a diplomatic agent.
Part of the text refers that the detention of Alex Saab is part of the obsessive campaign orchestrated by the outgoing government of the United States against the legitimate government of Venezuela, led by President Nicolás Maduro Moros, with the objective of politically and diplomatically undermining our country.
Read here the full communiqué:
Venezuela urges ECOWAS to comply with ruling of the Court of Justice on Alex Saab’s case.
“The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela calls upon the Honorable Governments of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), an organization of which Venezuela has the honor and privilege of being an observer country, to enforce the ruling of the Court of Justice of that African integration organization, of December 2, 2020, according to which the Venezuelan Special Envoy, Alex Nain Saab Morán, must be immediately released from the illegal detention he has been under in the Republic of Cape Verde since June 12, 2020, and placed under permanent house arrest, due to his fragile state of health.
This decision of the high court of the Economic Community of West African States has so far not been enforced due to the refusal of the Cape Verdean government, which does not recognize the jurisdiction of ECOWAS, despite the fact that the country is a member of this organization and has accepted full membership of the Court. Moreover, in the aforementioned judgment, which was rendered unanimously, had participated the Honorable Judge Januária Tavares Silva Moreira Costa of Cape Verde.
The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reminds the Honorable Governments of ECOWAS that Mr. Saab, who, since April 9, 2018 has been serving as Venezuela’s Special Envoy for the procurement of supplies of medicines, food and other goods, in order to meet the needs of the Venezuelan people, due to the criminal blockade that the outgoing administration of Donald Trump imposed on our country, was detained in Cape Verde at the request of Washington, when the aircraft carrying him had to refuel to continue its journey to Iran, thus disregarding the diplomatic inviolability and immunity corresponding to his character as a diplomatic agent.
Since then, all the deadlines established by the Cape Verdean justice system to decide on the judicial process have expired, which is why the Nigerian lawyer and human rights activist Femi Falana requested the Court of the Economic Community of West African States to halt the intended extradition of Special Envoy Saab to U.S. territory.
The detention of Alex Saab is part of the obsessive campaign orchestrated by the outgoing U.S. government against the legitimate government of Venezuela, led by His Excellency President Nicolás Maduro Moros, with the aim of politically and diplomatically undermining our country.
The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela expects the Government of Cape Verde to comply with ECOWAS Court’s decision of December 2, for which Alex Saab should be released from prison and placed under house arrest, where he could have access to medical care until the ECOWAS court determines the matter next month.
