Martinelli could face torture, inhuman treatment -lawyer

Ex-president Ricardo Martinelli has appointed a new lawyer to manage his ongoing fight to avoid extradition to face justice in nearly a dozen cases although his extradition order is based on illegal interception of communications and embezzlement of the multi-million dollar equipment used to enable the crime.

On Wednesday , May 30, Martinelli lawyer and spokesperson Edaurdo Camacho organized a press conference in Miami, Florida to introduce changes of legal strategies together with his new lawyer Inna Shapovalov.

She told reporters that if Martinelli is delivered to the Justice of his  country, there is the “possibility” he would  receive inhuman treatment, that and  “be tortured” by  the authorities and that they would violate due process

Recently Martinelli revealed in a handwritten note that Marcos Jiménez was no longer his lawyer, Shapovalov and Nataly Santos, will have the mission to air the issue of extradition before the US Department of State.

According to Camacho,  , Santos has worked with  lawyers in the United States, so will continue with the team advice, while Shapovalov takes care of the proceedings as a new defense of Martinelli who  withdrew all appeals against the extradition procedure  in the 11 Circuit  Appeals Court  in Atlanta

which  formalized the withdrawal of the motion.

Camacho explained that the withdrawal does not imply that Martinelli accepts the extradition, and  the fight moves to the Department of State.

According to Martinelli’s new lawyer in the United States, there are “humanitarian and political” reasons for not extraditing  the former Panamanian president.

President Juan Carlos Varela, is capable of violating his “human rights”.

Now, the State Department will have 60 days to make a decision on the future of Martinelli, if the decision does not favor him, his legal representatives in the United States may use a final tack presenting a Habeas Corpus to the Department of State.

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