Different online campaigns have commenced to demand the release of Venezuelan diplomat, Alex Saab from State custody in Cape Verde barely two weeks after street protests broke out across Venezuela over the same demand.
Mr. Saab is currently under house arrest in Cape Verde pending a final determination at the ECOWAS court on whether an extradition request from the US to the island country must be granted.
Many of tweets, streaming with a trending hashtag #FreeAlexSaab condemned the Cape Verde government over the manner in which they were handling the diplomat.
They commented on various issues regarding his arrest and detention including the denial of access to proper healthcare and the prevention of Mr. Saab’s lawyers from having privileged conversations with him.
” Cape Verde is setting a dangerous antecedent by subverting the goal of #ECOWAS just to pitch side in a cold war between two countries outside Africa. A sanction should remind them of where their loyalty should lie,” a twitter user said.
Cape Verde is setting a dangerous antecedent by subverting the goal of #ECOWAS just to pitch side in a cold war between two countries outside Africa. A sanction should remind them of where their loyalty should lie
— OgbeniLa (@laofsouthampton) February 12, 2021
” My believe is even if he was arrested, once his country explains his status as a diplomat, under the Vienna Convention, that should have been the end of the matter,” another said.
My believe is even if he was arrested, once his country explains his status as a diplomat, under the Vienna Convention, that should have been the end of the matter.#FreeAlexSaab pic.twitter.com/GKpublPeDu
— AYO OF CANADA 🇨🇦 ❁ 🔥 (@iam_ayobamie) February 12, 2021
“At this junction it is worthy of note that under no reason should Alex Saab still be on the soil of Cape Verde being denied access to his medical treatment and to basic life supports. The court has ruled that he should be allowed these, yet he’s been denied.Why?#freealexsaab,” another user also said.
°At this junction it is worthy of note that under no reason should Alex Saab still be on the soil of Cape Verde being denied access to his medical treatment and to basic life supports. The court has ruled that he should be allowed these, yet he’s been denied.Why?#freealexsaab
— Bissybabe (@Bissybabe5) February 12, 2021
With most of the tweets emanating from Nigeria where the ECOWAS court hearing the human rights case is hosted, many are hopeful that the court’s judgement on the matter in March 2021 will see the businessman freed.
Famed Nigerian lawyer, Femi Falana is acting as lead counsel for Mr. Saab in the case before the ECOWAS court.
Already he has challenged the claims by the Cape Verde government on the legality of their actions.
At the last court sitting on Friday, February 5, 2021, Mr. Falana argued that the Mr. Saab’s diplomatic status was not in doubt as even at the time of his arrest in Cape Verde in June 2020, he was on a diplomatic mission to Iran as a Special Envoy of Venezuela.
He said, Mr. Saab’s status demanded that he enjoys diplomatic immunity and inviolability which should protect him from any form of imprisonment or legal proceedings from Cape Verde, but the island country violated that and arrested him on the orders of the US.
“No objections have been raised to Mr Saab’s appointment by the African Union. It is not a matter for Cape Verde or any other country for that matter to raise issue with whom Venezuela as a sovereign state appoints as its ambassador. Equally, it is for Iran to determine if it recognizes Mr Saab as a Special Envoy to Iran and not any third party,” Mr. Falana argued.
Dr Henrique Borges, lead lawyer for the government of Cape Verde insisted that there was no evidence to prove Alex Saab’s diplomatic status hence the actions taken by the government were justified.
He further questioned the jurisdiction of the ECOWAS court in adjudicating the matter, indicating that Cape Verde has not signed or bound itself by the additional protocols of ECOWAS.
But Femi Falana said that the argument is flawed because the ECOWAS Court had already ruled that it had jurisdiction.
