Panama: Current situation of former members of the Dignity Battalions
| Publisher | Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 July 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | PAN17927.E |
| Cite as | Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Panama: Current situation of former members of the Dignity Battalions, 1 July 1994, PAN17927.E, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac2948.html [accessed 19 June 2013] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The information that follows was provided by the secretary general of the Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos de Panam (CONADEHUPA), one of Panama's main human rights organizations which is affiliated to CODEHUCA, an umbrella organization of Central American human rights organizations (11 July 1994).
The leaders of the Dignity Battalions were released from prison in October 1993 and are now free. However, some of the lower-ranking members of the Battalions are still detained and in some instances the cases are pending or underway.
A new government led by the Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD) is scheduled to take office on 1 September 1994. It is not clear what action, if any, this party, formerly led by Manuel Noriega, will take regarding former members of the Dignity Battalions.
The attached articles from Central America Report are among the most recent published references on the detention of Noriega loyalists currently available. Additional and or corroborating information could not be found among the sources currently available to the DIRB.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos en Panam (CONADEHUPA), Panama City. 11 July 1994. Telephone interview with secretary general.
Attachments
Central America Report [Guatemala]. 30 April 1993. "Amnesty Bill Heats Up Divisions," pp. 117-18.
. 30 April 1993. "Possible Amnesty Candidates," p. 117.
Additional Sources Consulted
News From Americas Watch [New York]. Monthly.
Central America Newspak [Austin, Tx]. Bi-monthly.
Central America Report [Guatemala City]. Weekly.
Central America Update [Toronto]. Monthly.
Latin America Press [Lima]. Weekly.
Latin American Weekly Report [London]. Weekly.
Latin American Regional Reports: Central America & the Caribbean [London]. Monthly.
Material from the Indexed Media Review (IMR) or country files containing articles and reports from diverse sources (primarily dailies and periodicals) from the Weekly Media Review.
Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) reports. Daily.
Newspapers and periodicals pertaining to the appropriate region.
On-line searches of news articles.
