The Angolan government announced today that the remains of former President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who died in Barcelona, Spain, will arrive in Luanda this afternoon.
A lawyer for Tichis dos Santos, one of the daughters of Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who has been in a Spanish court dispute over custody of the body with his ex-wife Ana Paula dos Santos, told Luz today that he was not aware of the delivery of the body. For one party, there are still appeals to be decided in court, although they do not have suspensive effects, and there is no judicial notice.
“Something happened. It’s strange that one of the parties is not aware of this, to qualify the situation in some way”, said lawyer Carmen Varela.
The lawyer said he was making “a statement” and would talk to Tchizé dos Santos, but that there would certainly be a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights by the five eldest children of José Eduardo dos Santos, thus preventing them. , at least, to “say goodbye” to his father in Barcelona.
On Thursday, Tchizé dos Santos had already said he would file a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights if the Spanish court did not reverse its decision to hand over the body to his ex-wife.
“If the answer is [ao recurso apresentado relativamente à decisão de atribuir a custódia do cadáver do antigo Presidente de Angola à sua ex-mulher] Giving the body and authorizing the transfer, obviously I am going to file a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights, because here is a citizen who wants to take the body to Angola, and I and other European citizens are risking our lives to go there”, argued Tchizé dos Saints.
The two factions of the dos Santos family have been disputing in the Family Court of the Civil Court of Catalonia over who will have custody of the body of José Eduardo dos Santos.
On one side were Tchizé dos Santos and her older brothers, who opposed handing over the remains to the former first lady and a state funeral before the August 24 election to avoid political use.
On the other hand, the widow Ana Paula dos Santos and her three children have in common with José Eduardo dos Santos, who claimed the body and wanted it buried in Angola.
On Wednesday, the court decided to attribute the body to the ex-wife and authorized the transfer to Angola after ruling definitively that Jose Eduardo dos Santos died of natural causes.
The five oldest children appealed the decision on Thursday, which was rejected, but moved forward with a new “appeal” and a request to be buried in Barcelona, lawyer Carmen Varela told Lusa Today.
This type of appeal does not have a suspensive effect, explained the lawyer representing Tchizé dos Santos, who, however, said there was no announcement of the court’s decision or the delivery of the body of José Eduardo dos Santos to his widow.
According to the lawyer, in addition to the appeal, a request was made to the court to be buried in Barcelona and not in Angola, in which case, “the five children cannot go” because “their lives” are in danger there.”
“Not being able to go to the funeral of their father in Angola, the damage caused to the five children will be irreversible. Therefore, if it is not suspended, we ask that at least the burial in Barcelona,” explained the lawyer.
According to a representative of Tchizé dos Santos, the judge questioned “the other party” whether he would agree to the burial in Barcelona on Friday, so far there has been no word from the court.
