Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil speaking during the seminar on Lawfare organized in Caracas on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. Photo: Twitter/@indhriana.
Three years after the abduction of Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab, Venezuelan authorities and more than 40 international guests discussed the role of the media in validating the use of the law for political purposes and how people can confront this imperialist strategy.
Tuesday, June 13, at the seminar, participants discussed the use of “lawfare” against a country and/or an individual, the role of the media in validating the use of the law for political purposes, and how the people can combat this imperialist strategy.
During the seminar, the organizers released an audio recording by the Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab, illegally detained at a prison in the state of Florida, reported the Free Alex Saab movement on its website.
Escucha a Alex Saab. Envío un mensaje por primera vez, desde una prisión federal en Estados Unidos.#AlexSaab #FreeAlexSaab #EEUU #Venezuela #Lawfare pic.twitter.com/aNGhGVz9UT
— Al Mayadeen Español (@almayadeen_es) June 14, 2023
“For those of us who have suffered this persecution for years, what we are really asking for is that diplomacy intervene so that reason can prevail,” Saab stated in the recording. “I have been blessed by the love, understanding, perseverance, and strength of my wife, my sons and daughters, and the strong support of my government—a humane government, above all, that does not abandon anyone.”
Saab stated that for people who, like him, have suffered the persecution of imperialism, it is still disappointing that, despite continuing to find legal tools, these seem insufficient, since the justice system “seems to be lacking reason.”
“For a political prisoner, forgetfulness is deadly, that is why I want to make a call in favor of all the political prisoners of the world and their families, in favor of those that feel forgotten at moments, a call to humanity from governments and their counterparts to really put our lives first,” he urged. The Venezuelan diplomat insisted that freedom and peace can only be achieved through dialogue and diplomacy.
Venezuela: Humanitarian Prisoner Exchange a Valid Mechanism for Release of Alex Saab
In the opinion of Camilla Fabri, Saab’s wife, the political and media persecution against Venezuela reached the point of kidnapping a special envoy in clear violation of international rules. Any Venezuelan official, activist, or businessperson who works to help their country can be a victim of this type of subversive actions, she warned.
In an interview for the Situational Analysis television program, hosted by Óscar Schemel, Fabri condemned the US intention to send “a message of fear” with the kidnapping of her husband.
At the end of the seminar, the Cuban ensamble Buena Fe was scheduled to offer an emotional concert to demand the release of the Venezuelan diplomat.
#EnVídeo 📹
▶️ Minutos antes de su última presentación en España, el director del grupo cubano Buena Fe, @Israel_BuenaFe, expresó que estarán en suelo venezolano con motivo del 3er año del secuestro de Álex Saab.#VenezuelaNews pic.twitter.com/tDMOgr6rog
— Agencia Venezuela News (@venezuelanewsVN) June 4, 2023
For its part, the Network of Jurists for Venezuela and the Liberation of Alex Saab once again spoke up against the illegitimate imprisonment of the Venezuelan diplomat, considered a flagrant act of transgression of the prerogatives and immunities provided for in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and fundamental principles of international public law.
On May 12, the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) of Venezuela issued Sentence 0420, in which it recognizes and rejects the breach of international statutes by the US and Cape Verdean authorities in this case that is considered by many legal experts as an abduction.
The TSJ rule coincided with the demands for the immediate release of the Venezuelan diplomat issued by other Venezuelan institutions, countries, foreign courts, international organizations, civil rights groups, jurists, bar associations, and groups of intellectuals of various nationalities.
(Al-Mayadeen) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
