Maria Zakharova spokesperson for the Russian Ministry for Foreign Affairs. File photo.
Russia has drawn attention to the persecution and extradition of Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab, calling the matter “politically motivated.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova expressed that following Saab’s illegal detention in Cape Verde, “Washington has exerted strong pressure on the Cape Verdean authorities and the judicial system of that country in an effort to achieve his extradition.”
💬 #Захарова: В июне 2020 г. cпецпосланник Правительства Венесуэлы🇻🇪 А.Сааб был задержан по запросу #США🇺🇸 правоохранительными органами Кабо-Верде🇨🇻.
❗️Считаем политически мотивированным уголовное преследование А.Сааба.
🔗 https://t.co/WPoffo8B59 pic.twitter.com/dK4fgBVH0l
— МИД России 🇷🇺 (@MID_RF) September 10, 2021
RELATED CONTENT: Ambassador Alex Saab to Continue His Legal Battle for Justice in the United States
“We consider the criminal procedure against Saab to be politically motivated,” she stressed in her official statement. “He has diplomatic status and fulfilled a humanitarian mission.”
The Russian diplomatic official emphasized that Moscow is concerned about Saab’s situation and sees it as “a serious threat” to the efforts of the government and the Venezuelan opposition to find mutually acceptable ways for the future development of the country.
In the statement, she recalled that in June 2020, Alex Saab was detained by the Cape Verdean law enforcement agencies at the request of the United States.
Therefore, Russia considers that, with Cape Verde’s decision to extradite the Venezuelan diplomat to the US, the parties that accuse him intend to reach the “end” of the current dialogue process in Mexico City.
“Now, when important issues are being discussed in a substantive way there [Mexico], and that to one degree or another affect US policy toward Venezuela, Washington is, in fact, trying to use A. Saab as an additional lever of pressure on the Venezuelan government,” announces the statement of the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry. “We see this as a serious threat to the efforts of the parties to find mutually acceptable ways for the future development of this country.”
RELATED CONTENT: Cape Verde Constitutional Court Green-Lights Saab Extradition to the US
A decision of Venezuelans
Russia insists that decisions regarding the Alex Saab case and other issues must be resolved only by Venezuelans. “Attempts of external destructive interference are inappropriate here,” states the Russian Foreign Ministry document. “The responsibility for the consequences of such actions will fall on those who directly or indirectly carry them out.”
The case
The case of Alex Saab, detained on June 12, 2020 at the Amilcar Cabral International Airport in Sal, Cape Verde, has been a controversial issue; since both the United Nations and the ECOWAS Court have advocated for his release and for terminating the procedure of his extradition to the United States.
However, the Cape Verdean courts have dismissed all the allegations presented by the defense defense team of Alex Saab, who had been illegally detained despite having a diplomatic passport during a technical landing in Cape Verde on his way to Iran in his capacity of special diplomatic envoy of the Venezuelan government.
Featured image: Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, declared that Russia considers Alex Saab’s extradition to be politically motivated. File photo.
(RedRadioVE) by Daniela Jiménez
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SC
