Panama's Supreme Court overturns 2004 pardon to terrorist Posada Carriles

by rahul | July 1, 2008 at 06:27 pm | 166 views | add comment

Belgium advocates for freedom of five Cuban anti-terrorists imprisoned in US

slideshow view all 2

As an the Panama´s Supreme Court overturns the unconstitutional pardon given to notorious terrorist and ex CIA agent Luis Posada Carriles, international pressure on current US administritation for his extradition would mostl likely improve. Pasada´s pardon was issued by Panama´s President Mireya Moscoso hours before leaving office in 2004. Posada Carriles was detained in Panama after attempting to kill Cuban Fidel Castro during an Ibero American Summit in 2000. According to Cuban Gramma, US pressured on Moscovo through Otto Reich and current McCain advisor on foreign affairs Roberto Martín Pérez

PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) - Panama's Supreme Court said Tuesday it has overturned the presidential pardon of an anti-Castro militant and more than 180 others.
Former Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso carried out the pardons in 2004, right before she left office.
In doing so, she freed four Cuban emigres who had been accused of trying to assassinate

Cuban President Fidel Castro. Among them was Luis Posada Carriles, a Cuban-born former CIA operative and naturalized citizen of Venezuela. Cuba cut ties with Panama after the decision.
Also among those pardoned were 87 journalists who had faced charges of defamation or libel dating as far back as 1990.
The Supreme Court ruled late Monday that the pardons were unconstitutional and that their decision would be retroactive, leaving open the possibility that many of those formerly cleared could return to jail.
Posada is being held in a U.S. jail.
His attorney in Panama, Rogelio Cruz, said he believes Panama may request his client's extradition from the U.S.
«Given the good relations between President (Martin) Torrijos and the Cuban government, I have no doubt that Panama will ask for the four anti-Castro militants to be extradited from the U.S.,» he said.
Cruz said that, if the case is revived, the courts would also have to take up an appeal filed on behalf of Posada Carriles four years ago.

...Posada is wanted in Cuba and Venezuela for masterminding a jetliner bombing that killed 73 people. Posada denies the charges