International
The Vice President of Ecuador seeks to reverse the suspension imposed by the Government in Justice
The suspended vice president of Ecuador and ambassador to Israel, Verónica Abad, asked the Justice to annul the sanction imposed by the Government that prevents her from exercising office for five months and, therefore, assuming presidential functions when President Daniel Noboa must request leave for the electoral campaign of the 2025 elections, where he seeks his re-election.
The suspension was issued by the Ministry of Labor for not having traveled from Tel Aviv to Ankara within the deadline set by the Government, which considered it as a temporary abandonment of her position as vice president, within the heated confrontation between Noboa and Abad, who has denounced the president for alleged political gender violence and has accused him of leading harassment with the intention of forcing his resignation.
Distancing between the president and the vice president of Ecuador
The distance between Noboa and Abad began in the electoral campaign of the 2023 elections and was reflected when he assumed their positions, when the ruler sent her to Israel as ambassador for the country, with the aim of mediating the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis.
Abad, who returned to Quito a few days ago, personally appeared at the hearing on the protection action against his suspension, where Judge Nubia Vera heard the parties and several lawyers, women’s movements and academics, who gave their views on the relevance and constitutionality of the sanction.
The vice president had already filed an appeal for amparo when the Ministry opened the administrative summary, but another judge denied the protection.
“A historic cause for the country”
“This is a historic cause for the country, over 194 years of constitutionalism in Ecuador it is the first time that an administrative authority imposes itself before an authority of popular choice, so it is necessary to establish in this case if this administrative act is above the Constitution and prevails over rights,” said Damián Armijos, from the Abad’s legal team, at the beginning of the hearing.
The lawyer asked the judge to declare that the administrative summary violated the political rights, legal certainty, due process and the presumption of innocence of the vice president, among others, and to order that the decision be reversed.
In addition, he demanded that the Minister of Labor, Ivonne Núñez, issue a public apology through a message to the nation, among other sanctions, as part of the comprehensive reparation.
However, the Ministry’s defense insisted that Abad is a public official, so that portfolio did have the power to open an administrative summary and sanction her, and emphasized that her political rights were not violated because she is not prevented from holding public office.
No legal basis for the sanction
One of the key moments of the hearing occurred when Judge Vera asked the Ministry’s lawyer to specify in which part of the Ecuadorian legislation it is determined that the sanction that the vice president received should be 150 days.
The defense took several minutes to look for normative support and in the end admitted that, in the face of a serious offense, the Public Service Law (Losep) does not determine a limit of days of temporary suspension, so the decision was made “based on the rules of sound criticism.”
“Considering the impossibility of dismissing the vice president, the least burdensome decision has been made,” the lawyer added.
At another time, the judge asked the lawyer if the Foreign Service Law had been taken into account, which states that ambassadors have 30 days to move to their new headquarters. The lawyer answered no, because they were only competent to know summaries based on the Losep.
To replace Abad, Noboa appointed the national secretary of Planning Sariha Moya as “vice president in charge”, in an unprecedented event in the country.
International
Klaus Iohannis resigns as romanian president following growing opposition pressure
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced his resignation on Monday, following growing pressure from populist opposition groups, two months after a higher court annulled a presidential election in the European Union country.
“To free Romania from this crisis, I resign as President of Romania,” he said, adding that he would step down on February 12.
Iohannis, 65, had held the presidential office since 2014, having completed the maximum of two five-year terms. However, his presidency was extended in December after the Constitutional Court annulled the presidential race just two days before the second-round vote on December 8.
This decision followed an unexpected victory by the far-right populist Calin Georgescu in the first round, which was followed by allegations of Russian interference and electoral violations.
International
Saudi PhD student’s sentence reduced to 4 years after Twitter activity
A Saudi PhD student from the University of Leeds in Britain has been released after her 34-year sentence for her activities on Twitter in Saudi Arabia was drastically reduced, a human rights group reported on Monday.
Salma al-Shehab, who has two children, was sentenced to 34 years in prison in 2022 for her tweets.
A London-based Saudi rights group, ALQST, announced her release. In January, ALQST and other organizations said that her sentence was reduced to four years in prison, with an additional four years suspended.
“She should now be granted full freedom, including the right to travel to complete her studies,” said the group.
International
Victims of Álvaro Uribe case request international observers for trial
Victims in the legal case against former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe have requested that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH), the United Nations, and other international organizations send observers to monitor the trial against the former leader.
“The victims’ group announces that it will appeal to the CIDH, the UN Special Rapporteur for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, and internationally recognized NGOs to designate international observers to attend the trial, in order to ensure the right to justice is upheld and that judges and magistrates imparting justice are respected,” said the victims, led by left-wing senator Iván Cepeda.
Last Thursday, the trial began against the former Colombian president on charges of bribery, process fraud, and bribery in criminal proceedings.
In this trial, in which for the first time a former Colombian president faces criminal charges, Judge Sandra Liliana Heredia will have to decide whether the Prosecution’s accusations against Uribe are valid or if, as the defense claims, Uribe is innocent of the charges.
Klaus Iohannis resigns as romanian president following growing opposition pressure
Saudi PhD student’s sentence reduced to 4 years after Twitter activity
Victims of Álvaro Uribe case request international observers for trial
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Ecuador prison riot leaves at least 43 dead
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