The Uruguayan drug trafficker, Sebastian Marsetused a letter issued by the Uruguayan government to get out of a jail in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he was being held for trying to travel with a false passport.
The letter, dated October 31, 2021, was issued by the Uruguayan Embassy in the United Arab Emirates, requested by lawyer Alejandro Balbi, who represents Marset. He was presented by the drug trafficker to request his release after being arrested.
Below is the full transcript and translation of the letter, which was originally written in English.
Abu Dhabi, October 31, 2021
A. Abu Dhabi Department of Justice
The Embassy of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, to the Consular Department of the United Arab Emirates – presents its respects to the Honorable Department of Justice of Abu Dhabi, and wishes to refer to criminal case No. 221247442, related to the Uruguayan citizen Sebastián Enrique Marset Cabrera, document of Uruguayan nationality No. X.XXX.XXX-X*, who is currently detained in the Al Wathba prison in the city of Abu Dhabi.
This is to notify the competent authorities that, in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 19,268 of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, Consular Organization Law, article 28, subsection A, the Consular Department will proceed to start the process of requesting passport to Mr. Sebastián Enrique Marset Cabrera, once he is released from prison. However, the definitive authority that approves the issuance of the aforementioned travel document is the Ministry of the Interior of Uruguay.
Thus, according to Decree No. 129/014 of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, related to the regulations for the issuance of common passports, identity and travel certificates, in the event that the immediate return to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay is requested, a travel document will be provided that enables Mr. Marset, for once, to return to his country of origin.
Balbi’s formal request
In the last few hours, MVD Noticias revealed an official document from the Foreign Ministry that contradicts the version of the Minister of the Interior, Luis Alberto Heber, who said on August 22 before Parliament that “there was no exceptional treatment for Mr. Marset.”
The outlet revealed that on November 29, 2021, an email written to the Embassy of Uruguay in the UAE, with a copy to different departments and dependencies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, read the following:
“The brother of Dr. Alejandro Balbi has contacted that Department, requesting that Mr. Marset’s passport be delivered to him. To which he was told that the only possible alternative, due to the urgency expressed to receive that document, was that the express authorization of the applicant was needed.
It is for this reason that, exceptionally, if Mr. Marset authorizes it, his passport will be delivered to his legal representatives in this Department.
Therefore, this mission is grateful for preparing a note in order to obtain the signature of Mr. Marset expressly authorizing who will withdraw his travel document”.
*LARED21 decided not to publish Marset’s ID number.
