A court in Ecuador ruled this Friday (12) that the dramatic arrest of former vice-president Jorge Glas last week was illegal, but that he must remain in jail due to his previous convictions. Jorge Glas' lawyer and the team have already announced that they will appeal the decision.
Convicted twice for corruption and now with new charges against him, Glas was arrested a week ago during a police raid at the Mexican Embassy in Quito, where he had lived since December.
The arrest is the culmination of a period of political tension between Ecuador and Mexico, although both governments have said they are willing to restore relations between the countries.
Glas' defense argued that the three-judge court should declare his capture illegal and release him, arguing that the Ecuadorian government violated human rights and international law by authorizing security forces to enter another country's diplomatic mission.
The court confirmed that the arrest “was illegal and arbitrary”, said judge Monica Heredia, but stressed that, because of past convictions, “this court cannot change the (prison) sentence”.
Glas' lawyer, Sonia Vera, thanked the international community in a message on the social network X, saying that the pressure was essential to obtain the illegal arrest verdict.
“However, Jorge is still in prison. We will appeal until he is released,” he said.
Former Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa, for whom Glas was vice between 2013 and 2017, stated on Wednesday that the detained former vice president attempted suicide and is on a hunger strike, in protest against his detention in a prison in Guayaquil, information confirmed by his lawyer.
Glas was taken to hospital on Monday before returning to prison the following day. In a video shared by Vera on Wednesday, the politician told about his arrest, saying that the police attacked him during the operation. The police denied having tortured Glas, but said the progressive use of force was necessary due to the former vice president's resistance.
Source: CNN Brasil
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