2024-04-13 00:30:54
The National Court of Justice of Ecuador (CNJ) denied on Friday a habeas corpus raised by the detained former vice president Jorge Glas, although he established that his capture through a police assault on the Mexican embassy in Quito where he was taking refuge was “illegal and arbitrary.”
Glaswhose arrest a week ago with the forced entry into the legation led to Mexico breaking diplomatic relations, sought to obtain his freedom through that resource, with which he also sought to have the justice system declare that his detention was illegal.
During the hearing to resolve the habeas corpus, which began on Thursday, the supreme CNJ determined the illegality and arbitrariness of the arrest of the former vice president, who hours before Mexico granted asylum in the midst of a diplomatic crisis when its ambassador Raquel Serur was expelled for be declared persona non grata.
Glas He took refuge in the Mexican embassy in December, before the court issued a prison order for him for alleged embezzlement in the management of funds for the reconstruction of towns devastated by an earthquake in 2016, in a tax investigation that is ongoing.
Although habeas corpus was denied, about fifty supporters of the former vice president loudly celebrated outside the CNJ the judicial decision to consider “illegal and arbitrary” the capture of their leader.
He must remain in prison
Glas was due to serve eight years in prison for previous convictions in two corruption cases. However, he was released from prison in 2022 thanks to a questioned precautionary measure, after being imprisoned for five years, and had to appear periodically before the authority.
A CNJ court, which took into account that there was no search warrant for the break-in at the diplomatic headquarters, also concluded that Glas must remain in prison for the pending sentences.
In one of the bribery cases, he was convicted in 2020 along with his friend and former socialist president Rafael Correa (2007-2017), of whom he was vice president.
The former president, who has lived in Belgium since leaving power, was tried in absentia and faces an arrest warrant.
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