Alex Saab Update

By Lily Goldklang January 15, 2022

Saab’s Kidnapping

Over a year and a half ago, Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab was kidnapped, on U.S. orders, in the nominally sovereign nation of Cabo Verde, during a refueling stop en route to Iran. Saab was going to Iran on behalf of the Bolivarian government of Venezuela to buy crucial food and industrial supplies that Venezuela is currently unable to access through normal means due to illegal U.S. sanctions on the country, and he was extradited to the United States nearly three months ago in October 2021.

A Dangerous Precedent

The kidnapping—or “extradition” as the U.S. is calling it in an attempt to preserve its legitimacy—sets a dangerous precedent, and not just for Venezuela. The United States is clearly communicating to the world it does not acknowledge or respect other countries’ sovereignty and sees it fit to prosecute foreign diplomats for violating U.S. laws which are not themselves compliance with international law, let alone that Saab did not step foot on U.S. soil in the violation of the illegal and murderous sanctions.

The Struggle to Free Saab Continues

Today, the Center for Political Innovation is hard at work in cooperation with the Alliance for Global Justice, the Alex Saab Defense Committee, and various other groups to raise awareness and solidarity for Alex Saab in the United States and around the world. Saab’s next court hearing is set for February 16th, at which the date of his official April trial will be determined. In anticipation of this hearing, a national day of action for Alex Saab has been called on February 15th, with an additional demonstration set to take place outside the courthouse during the proceedings the next day. CPI will continue to release updates on the case as they come.

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