MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguayan Higher Court upholds rejecting Pepín's asylum request

According to Pepín's legal team, an extradition trial cannot be activated yet, but he can be arrested if he leaves Uruguay

A Montevideo Court of Appeals has denied Fabián “Pepín” Rodríguez Simón's asylum request, it was announced Monday.

The Argentine Paralasur deputy -hence his residence in Montevideo- is wanted by Buenos Aires Federal Judge María Romilda Servini for his alleged involvement on behalf of then-President Mauricio Macri to harass the owners of the Indalo [media] Group into selling it to potential owners more akin to the Juntos por el Cambio administration.

Pepín's request had been turned down last year by a lower court and has now been upheld by a court of appeals. Thus, if he leaves Uruguay, Interpol may now proceed to execute the international arrest warrant against him and extradite him to his country of origin.

The Uruguayan Refugee Commission (CORE) had also ruled last year that there were no elements to sustain Rodríguez Simón's allegations of arbitrariness which could therefore justify his request.

Fabián “Pepín” Rodríguez Simón is one of the defendants in the so-called “Judicial Bureau” case. He left Argentina on December 8, 2020, and failed to show up when he was summoned for questioning by Servini.

The new 41-page ruling issued in June and released Monday was signed by Judges Alberto Reyes Oehninger and Sergio Torres Collazo with a dissenting vote from Judge Graciela Gatti Santana. The split decision upheld Judge Adriana Chamsarián's decision dated Dec. 23 rejecting Pepín's refuge petition.

According to Pepín's legal team, an extradition trial cannot be activated yet.