Panama presents criminal complaint against former DAS director

[Judi Lynn]

Panama presents criminal complaint against former DAS director
Panamá, miércoles 24 de noviembre de 2010

A lawsuit against the former director of the Department of Administrative Security (DAS) of Colombia, Maria del Pilar Hurtado - who has asylum in Panama, was presented yesterday to the Public Ministry by lawyer Luis Guillermo Pérez, spokesman for the Colectivo de Abogados José Alvear Restrepo, a Colombian human rights NGO.

Pérez reported that the complaint was filed in a personal capacity, but also makes mention within the document of the people affected by the "persecution" set up by Hurtado, accused in her country for intercepting telephone conversations of Court judges, journalists, and opposition leaders.

The Colombian attorney came to Panama to present this appeal and then left right away to return to the neighboring country.

According to Pérez, Colombia has demonstrated that there was "political persecution" and serious human rights violations

http://mensual.prensa.com/mensual/contenido/2010/11/24/hoy/english/news_5443.asp