Off the wire
• German economic sentiment improves slightly in Jan.  • NATO allies discuss Georgia's NATO membership  • Roundup: Sterling rallies as political, business worlds react to May's tough Brexit plan  • Nigerian police intensify rescue operation following kidnapping at college  • 1st LD Writethru: Xi calls for joint efforts in building long-term, stable China-U.S. relations  • Xinhua world news summary at 1600 GMT, Jan.17  • Chinese artists perform in Cambodian capital to greet Spring Festival  • Putin slams Obama administration for attempting to sink Trump  • U.S. stocks open lower after Brexit speech  • Laos investigates 71 officials for corruption in 2016: report  
You are here: 　 Home

Iraqi ambassador pays 52,000 euros to Portuguese family over sons' assault

Xinhua, January 18, 2017 Adjust font size:

The Iraqi ambassador to Portugal, Saad Mohammed Ridha, has paid 40,000 euros (42,800 U.S. dollars) in compensation to the Portuguese family whose son was seriously injured by the ambassador's twin sons in last August, according to Portuguese Lusa News Agency on Tuesday.

The Iraqi ambassador also paid 12,000 euros for treatment expenses for the then 15-year-old Ruben Cavaco.

Ridha reached an out-of-court compensation agreement on Friday with the family of Cavaco, the teenager left in a coma following an assault by the diplomat's 17-year-old sons Haider and Ridha Ali.

However, the criminal process will continue autonomously on behalf of the Portuguese Public Prosecutor's Office, and the diplomat's twin sons will be taken to court if their diplomatic immunity is lifted.

According to Cavaco's lawyer, Santana Maia Leonardo, the case was closed for the family after the extrajudicial agreement was reached, but he did not reveal the amount paid to the family on Friday.

Haider and Ridha Ali were accused of attacking Cavaco on Aug. 17 last year in the town of Ponte de Sor, about 180 kms northeast of Lisbon. He was left in a coma for five days at a hospital in Lisbon and was discharged in early September after treatment.

The twin brothers were at first detained by police but soon freed after discovering they were Ridha's sons, as they have diplomatic immunity from prosecution.

Portugal's foreign ministry has twice asked Iraq to lift diplomatic immunity from the ambassador's sons, however, the Iraqi authorities requested Portugal provide further legal details relating to the investigation. Endit