The diplomatic shambles between Portugal and Iraq following the horrific beating of a 15-year-old at the hands of the ambassador’s twin sons faces a new deadline this week, in yet another attempt to get the Middle Eastern country to lift immunity protecting attackers Haider and Ridha Ali.
Meantime, the lawyer of the boy the twins beat to a pulp last August says his client is in a worse condition now than he was a month ago.
Finally back at school, Rúben Cavaco is experiencing difficulties in moving his right arm and leg.
He “cannot write for a very long”, and the right side of his dead is still numb, Santana-Maia Leonardo told reporters.
In fact the situation is precluding an agreement with ambassador Saad Mohammed Ali, as “Rúben’s recovery is simply not complete”.
Santana-Maia Leonardo was talking after Lusa news agency reported that Portugal’s Attorney General’s Office has ruled that it is “essential” that Iraq lifts the diplomatic immunity protecting the twins from prosecution, as they have to be heard as arguidos (official suspects).
The boys, now both 18, admitted their savage beating of Rúben in an exclusive interview with SIC TV, and Portugal has been requesting the lifting of their diplomatic immunity ever since.
The new deadline extends Iraq’s decision-making to the beginning of January, say reports – with the twin boys still facing potential joint charges of attempted murder.
