German diplomat arrested in Brazil for suspected murder of husband

German diplomat arrested in Brazil for suspected murder of husband

Rio police first took Hahn into custody on Saturday after his husband, Walter Henri Maximilien Biot, 52, was found dead in an apartment in the Ipanema neighborhood, police said. The video showed Hahn being escorted by Brazilian police outside a police station in Rio on Sunday.

Brazilian judge Rafael de Almeida Rezende cited alleged attempts to tamper with evidence as one of the factors in his decision to keep the diplomat in detention.

According to the decision, seen by CNN, “The home was cleaned before the forensic team conducted its investigation, a fact that in itself shows that the release of the detained suspect could seriously compromise evidence.”

The judge’s order describes the crime scene, stating “multiple lesions on the victim’s body resulting from blunt force trauma, one of which was [lesions] compatible with one foot stomping and the other with the use of a cylindrical instrument (supposedly a wooden club).”

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The judge’s ruling also said that forensics “discovered spatters of blood on the property, evident in the couple’s bedroom and bathroom, consistent with the dynamics of a violent death.”

Hahn’s defense argued in court that the diplomat was entitled to diplomatic immunity and a detention review, reports CNN Brasil.

Habeas corpus is a legal principle that allows people who believe they are being unlawfully held in prison or detention to appeal, and successful appeals can result in a prisoner’s release.

But the judge ruled that “an arrest for a premeditated crime against life committed at the couple’s home (i.e. outside the consular environment) has no relation to consular duties”.

Hahn reportedly told police that Biot died from a sudden illness and a fall from her home, according to Portal. CNN has reached out to Hahn’s attorneys, but they were unavailable for comment.

Sources from the Foreign Office also confirmed to CNN the “arrest of an employee of the Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro”.

“Our embassy in Brasilia and the consulate general in Rio de Janeiro are in close contact with the Brazilian authorities who are investigating this case,” Foreign Ministry sources said, adding that they were unable to provide any further information due to the ongoing investigation and privacy concerns could make information.

Camilo Rocha of CNN in Sao Paulo and Benjamin Brown in London contributed to this report.