Defensoria del Pueblo de la Republica de Panamá report on the treatment of Nicholas Tuffney
Updated: Sep 24, 2019
The Defensora Del Pueblo is established as an Ombudsman to overlook and to ensure all government departments act with the law and respect the rights to human life, documented below is far from the truth, this shameful organisation is when it comes to upholding the rule of law a white elephant.
The website Defensora del Pueblo http://www.defensoriadelpueblo.gob.pa/ mentions on the website that anyone can contact them, they will accept any complaints either, written format, verbal, emailed or in person, they will act on all complaints seriously and carry out full investigations.
Whilst in La Joya an Attorney delivered a complaint letter to Panama City, the letter was addressed personally to “Lilia Herrera M.” Director of the Defensora Del Pueblo, Panama, it was signed and stamped, 4th February 2014 at 2.51 pm, we are now 4 years later with no response!
To-date some four and a half years have passed and neither my attorney or I have received a response to this letter, this type of failing by Panama not to respond to requests is because Panama is totally arrogant, this habitual, systemic act of denial to not replying by this government is totally unacceptable and casts serious shame and doubt over the state’s ability to take human rights cases seriously.
Many organisations to-date are still awaiting responses from Panama in connection to panama’s failings when it comes to human rights.
Caymanian Court is awaiting a response from Panama in relation to Mark Bodden’s unexplained death whilst in custody, medical reports were not supplied upon request despite numerous appeals by:
John Jones QC
Juan Menendaz
Nicholas Tuffney
Ambassador Arthur Porter
British Embassy Panama
USA Embassy Panama
Barrios & Barrios
file:///C:/Users/123/Desktop/Nick/4/d95407_615db0715d2043f39497805e90aa95eb.pdf
file:///C:/Users/123/Desktop/Nick/4/d95407_a8bbc89d63af41749d80c7673d448c55.pdf
Fuente: Fotos Virgilio Beluche
Panamá 29 de mayo. La Viceministra de Gobierno, María Luisa Romero, recibió en su despacho la visita de la nueva Directora de la Asociación para la Prevención de la Tortura (APT), Audrey Olivier Muralt, de la Oficina para América Latina.
Romero agradeció el apoyo que brinda esta ONG para mejorar la situación en los centros penales, con relación al respeto de los derechos humanos de nuestros privados de libertad, los exhortó a continuar asesorándonos, especialmente en el pensum académico y en la capacitación de los instructores, responsables de la Academia Penitenciaria.
En su intervención, Silvia Dias actual Directora APT, destacó que a pesar que existen grandes problemas en las cárceles panameña como el hacinamiento, también destacó logros importantes como la labor que desarrolla la Academia Penitenciaria, donde se capacitan a los futuros custodios civiles en materia de derechos humanos.
Translated:
VICE MINISTER ROMERO RECEIVES NEW DIRECTOR OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE PREVENTION OF TORTURE
Romero thanked the NGO for its support to improve the situation in the penal centres, in relation to the respect of the human rights of our inmates, exhorted them to continue advising us, especially in the academic curriculum and in the training of the instructors, responsible for the Penitentiary Academy.
In her speech, Silvia Dias, current APT Director, pointed out that although there are major problems in Panamanian prisons such as overcrowding, she also highlighted important achievements such as the work carried out by the Penitentiary Academy, where future civilian custodians are trained in matters of human rights.
The main issue in Panama is that people do wait up to 5 years for a hearing, when their day does finally come, the judge hands down a sentence of 2 years.
Prisoners are not compensated for the 3 extra years served, regardless of the fact the state was at fault in failing to expedite in their judicial process. We at Panama human rights feel many inmates did not know, or understand that they had a human right to a (Fair Trial) under UN Law. In Panama this is totally ignored and swept under the carpet, leaving inmates angry about the injustices served, and the time missed that they could have been with their family.