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This News Service is posted by the
International Secretariat of Amnesty International,
1 Easton Street, London WC1X 8DJ
(Tel +44-71-413-5500, Fax +44-71-956-1157)
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News Service 32/96
AI INDEX:AMR 44/02/96
21 FEBRUARY 1996



PANAMA: GENERAL AMNESTY BILL GUARANTEES IMPUNITY FOR
PERPETRATORS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

In a letter sent from London on 14 February to the President
of the Republic of Panama, Ernesto Perez Balladares, Amnesty
International expressed concern at Bill No 1 1995, known as
the General Amnesty Bill.

      The bill was approved on second reading by the
Panamanian General Assembly in December 1995 and will be
discussed again on 2 March.

      According to Amnesty International, ~if  approved, this
legislation would be the third measure in two years aimed at
exonerating current or former public officials, or other
individuals linked to the state, of their responsibility for
human rights violations~.

      The previous measures referred to are the presidential
pardon of September 1994, which resulted in the release of
222 members of the military and the September 1995 pardon
which released another 130 people, some of whom were awaiting
trial on charges of corruption and criminal offenses.

      Amnesty International is particularly critical of the
first and ninth articles of the bill, which grant general
amnesty to current and former public officials and others
suspected, implicated or tried for crimes against individual
freedom or politically motivated offences, including illegal
detention and torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading
treatment.

      By granting amnesty within a period of up to a week
from the entry into force of the legislation, the state is
flouting its obligation to cooperate with the judicial
investigation into human rights violations. This measure also
goes against the basic principles established by the United
Nations for the independence of the judiciary.
      Amnesty International opposes any measure which grants
immunity from prosecution to public officials allegedly
responsible for human rights violations and which prevents
the facts and corresponding responsibilities from being
clarified. The organization therefore considers that the
amnesty law should not impede the judicial investigation of
these violations nor benefit the perpetrators. However, it
takes no position on measures granting pardon after final
sentencing.

      Amnesty International considers that, prior to the
forthcoming discussion of the bill, a list of judicial
proceedings which would be closed if the bill is approved
should be made public. Moreover, it considers that it should
be made known publicly which of these proceedings involve
current or former public officials and others linked to the
state who may have committed human rights violations.

      Amnesty International urges that human rights
violations committed during the period covered by the bill be
impartially investigated and that those allegedly responsible
be brought to justice.

      Amnesty international's letter concludes by recalling
that tolerating abuses and preventing the perpetrators from
being brought to justice only serves to perpetuate such
crimes.

ENDS\

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