According to the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia, the Court of Instruction of Barcelona decided that the Institute of Legal Medicine will maintain custody of the body, which will delay its delivery to the family and funeral of the former president.
The Spanish justice decided that, following the complaint presented by Tchizé dos Santos, daughter of the former president, on suspicion that there may have been a conspiracy to end his life, the body cannot be handed over to the family until they are made. additional forensic exams.
In addition, it is necessary to identify "the family member(s)" to whom the body should be delivered.
The law firms that advise Tchizé dos Santos, denounce the "pressure" that Angola is exerting for the ex-President's body to be handed over and a state funeral to be held, which goes against the wishes of José Eduardo dos Santos according to referred to his daughter.
According to a document issued by the lawyers, quoted by EFE, the current government of Angola declared "war" on the circle of Dos Santos and his family who, since then, have suffered "strong political pressure", which led to the former president has decided to voluntarily go into exile in Spain.
Tchizé dos Santos has stated that her father wants to have a private funeral and be buried in Spain, refusing a state funeral in Angola "that could favor the current government".
Preliminary autopsy results point to a "natural death" due to "heart failure" and "lung infection", according to a source close to the case cited by AFP.
José Eduardo dos Santos died on July 8, aged 79, in a clinic in Barcelona, Spain, after weeks of hospitalization and the government decreed seven days of national mourning.
Eduardo dos Santos succeeded Agostinho Neto as President of Angola in 1979 and left office in 2017, serving one of the longest presidencies in the world, punctuated by accusations of corruption and nepotism.
In 2017, he resigned from re-candidate and the current President, João Lourenço, succeeded him in office, having also been elected by the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), a party in government since the country became independent from Portugal in 2017. 1975.
