Colombia’s ex-director of intelligence Maria del Pilar Hurtado has appealed the recent verdict that declared her four-year asylum in Panama unconstitutional, local media reported on Wednesday.
The appeal of a “clarification of the sentence” was presented on Tuesday before Panama’s Supreme Court by Hurtado’s attorney, Raul Olmos, Bogota’s Caracol Radio reported.
This new appeal comes a day after the Attorney General of Panama, Ana Belfon, presented a similar appeal against the verdict that would send Hurtado back to Colombia.
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Olmos stated in remarks published by the local press that he is asking the Supreme Court to review whether Hurtado’s human rights were respected during the verdict process, since according to the lawyer, the former head of Colombia’s intelligence agency was not allowed to be heard. Olmos acknowledged, however, that the action filed will likely not influence or change the asylum verdict.
On May 29 Panama’s Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the 2010 decision which granted Hurtado asylum in the country. However, the verdict was published only last Wednesday, and the parties involved were notified just a day after.
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Hurtado, the former director of Colombia’s now-defunct intelligence agency DAS from 2007 to 2009, is wanted in Colombia for crimes surrounding her participation in the illegal interception and monitoring of journalists, judges, congressmen, and human rights defenders that occurred during the administration of former President Alvaro Uribe.
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The previous appeal presented by Belfon temporarily suspended the verdict that stripped Hurtado of her asylum until the Supreme Court responded to Belfon’s request. The Court was given 10 days to respond to an appeal.
Angel Alvarez, one of two lawyers who presented the appeal against Hurtado’s asylum in 2011, stated on Tuesday that “in some manner” the clarification appeal affects the execution of the sentence, Caracol Radio reported.
The lawyer added that “with the help of the Attorney General,” it is possible that Hurtado could evade the Colombian justice system.
