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.