Venezuelans hit the streets, demand release of Alex Saab

About 200,000 protestors stormed the streets in Venezuela, Sunday, to demand the release of Alex Saab, a special envoy for the South American country, who is under house arrest on charges of money laundering.

The protests held across numerous cities of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela including the capital Caracas were largely organized through social media. This follows comments by the Prime Minister of Cape Verde, Ulisses Correia that it “did well” in arresting Mr. Saab.

Communicating their mood through placards amid chants, the protesters contended that the arrest and continuous detention of Mr. Saab since June last year is politically motivated. They suggested it is an agenda being pushed by the United States.

Mr. Saab was 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 Venezuelan President Nicolas 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.

Prior to the protest, lawyers for Mr. Saab had in separate letters to the Prime Minister and the office of the National Police, Sal Regional Command, expressed concern over what they say are “wicked and arbitrary measures” being meted out to the team and its client.

Among others, the lawyers said they had been denied entry into the house of their client after he was put under house arrest.



While threatening to stop visiting Mr. Saab should the narrative remain the same, the lawyers said "having regard to Mr. Saab’s immunity under international law, INTERPOL does not expect his provisional arrest, unless Venezuela waives the immunity. Therefore, Cabo Verde cannot rely on the Red Notice of 13 June 2020 to justify the detention of Mr. Saab."

With the aforementioned and many others, Saab’s defense team mentioned that they hoped the Cape Verdean Prime Minister “will find it appropriate to inform the parliament that Cabo Verde was not required by INTERPOL to ignore Mr. Saab status as a special envoy on mission and detain him notwithstanding his immunity under international law.”

Meanwhile, the ECOWAS court has set February 4, 2021, to hear the substantive case on the extradition of Mr. Saab.