Portugal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs has stated that the twin children of the Iraqi ambassador to Portugal will be declared 'persona non grata' if he does not receive a response to a request for their diplomatic immunity to be lifted due to their involvement in an attack on a youth in Pont de Sor in the Alentejo.
The Portuguese Government has informed Iraq that it will wait until the end of next week for an answer to a request made on 25 August.
If Iraq does not respond, Portugal will take this as a negative response to the request and, therefore, will take actions as stipulated by international law under the Vienna Convention and expell the twins, if indeed they are still in the country.
Asked by the press whether this decision could involve the expulsion of the Iraqi ambassador, Minister Silva Santos said that "the declaration of ‘persona non grata' means that the person has to leave national territory," but has not made it clear whether the persona non grata status will be given to the ambassador as well as his children. If his children are kicked out, it is unliklely they will ever face trial despite an earlier statement saying they would cooperate with any inquiry.
However, the Minister cautioned that "it would not be correct to assume an answer" that has not yet been given, but that the time for talk is over and action must now be taken.
According to the minister, "there is no reason why Iraq did not formally communicate its response to the request from the Portuguese authorities."
On Monday and Tuesday, the two governments were in discussions over the request with Portugal making it clear that in relation to all the questions asked about the functioning of the Portuguese judicial system, an official investigation will start as soon as diplomatic immunity is lifted.
The minister said that "all reasonable deadlines have already been passed" and "by next week is already a sufficiently friendly gesture from the Portuguese authorities."
On 17 August, Rúben Cavaco was savagely beaten in Ponte de Sor, Portalegre, allegedly by the 17-year-old twin sons of Iraq's ambassador to Portugal.
Cavaco suffered multiple fractures and was transferred to the Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon where he was put into an induced coma. The young man was discharged on September 2nd and is recovering at home.
The two boys are sons of the Iraqi ambassador to Portugal, Saad Mohammed Ali, and have diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention.
After the Portuguese request had been sent, the Portuguese and Iraqi ministers met on 23 September in New York during the General Assembly of the United Nations when the Iraqi minister assured Silva Santos that his country does not oppose "any requirement of the law so that the investigation can be completed."
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