Colombia granted asylum to former president and criminal of Panama
Former President of Panama Leaves Nicaraguan Embassy After a Year, Heads to Colombia with Asylum Granted
The English section of webangah News agency,citing Mehr News Agency and Reuters,reports that Ricardo Martinelli,the former president of Panama convicted of money laundering and sentenced to over a decade in prison,has departed for Colombia after the country approved his asylum request.
Martinelli had been residing at the Nicaraguan Embassy in Panama City,the capital of Panama,as February last year following the Supreme Court’s confirmation of his conviction.
Panamanian authorities stated in a release: “In accordance with the 1928 Asylum Convention and the 1933 Political Asylum Treaty, a secure route was arranged from the Nicaraguan Embassy to the local airport for the transfer of Panama’s former president.”
The Panamanian Foreign Ministry noted that granting asylum to Martinelli “reflects colombia’s humanitarian tradition of protecting individuals facing legal persecution for political reasons.”
