Karabus' ‘Argo moment’ a long time coming

Abstract

Weary and cynical from a seemingly interminable roller-coaster ride of hope and despair, the close-knit family of manslaughter-acquitted and foreign-entrapped Cape Town oncologist Professor Cyril Karabus could only speak of ‘waiting for the Argo moment,’ last month.

With the World Medical Association, (WMA), alerting physicians globally of the risks of working in a United Arab Emirates, (UAE) which flouted ‘international fair trial standards,’ in creating Karabus’ eight month ordeal (including 57 days in jail), his family could be forgiven for making dramatic comparisons. His paediatrician daughter, Sarah, speaking days after learning that in spite of his acquittal on manslaughter and forgery charges, he’d be forced to remain in Abu Dhabi to undergo a prosecution appeal, said ‘only an Argo moment’ would induce hope.
She explained that this would be the crystalline second her dad was ‘finally in the air on board a flight home’ – somewhat like the six Americans spirited out of Iran in the highly creative CIA 1980 operation depicted in this year’s Oscar-award-winning movie ‘Argo’. The movie climaxes with the ‘rescue’ plane airborne, Iranian infantry vehicles in hot pursuit on the runway below.
The clumsy and grossly inefficient legal process that traumatised the 78-year-old veteran State pediatric oncologist/haematologist drew heavy fire from the South African Medical Association, (SAMA), prime architects of the WMA resolution.