Retired doctor Cyril Karabus is now “on the edge, suffering from extreme depression”, his lawyer has warned after another court delay.
|||Cape Town - Retired Cape Town doctor Cyril Karabus is now “on the edge, suffering from extreme depression”, his lawyer has warned after another court delay.
And the SA Medical Association (Sama) has slammed Karabus’s treatment “as bordering on torture”.
The paediatric oncologist, who turned 78 this month, was due to have been released after the legal case against him was dropped in the United Arab Emirates late last month. But, in a devastating blow, Karabus was informed that the decision to free him would be taken on appeal.
On Tuesday, he appeared in court again. His Cape Town lawyer Michael Bagraim said: “We had been told by our lawyers that the prosecution wasn’t keen on pursuing this. But then the judge ruled, out of the blue, that the medical translator was not present, and so postponed the matter until April 23. Dr Karabus is now suffering from extreme depression. I’m having doubts about how much more he can take.”
Bagraim said Karabus’s wife, Jenny, was “devastated”.
He said the Deputy Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Marius Fransman, had assured him he was “still on the case”.
Mark Sonderup, vice-chairman of Sama, charged that, even worse than this illegal “punishment”, Karabus’s treatment “is now bordering on torture”.
“It’s time the global community started turning its attention on the UAE and surrounding countries. In this case you have a country acting with complete impunity.”
Cape Argus