Reading Room Document

Extension of Prisoner of War Treatment to Defendants Noriega and Del Cid Under the Geneva Convention

This document is a memorandum discussing the extension of prisoner of war treatment to defendants Noriega and Del Cid under the Geneva Convention. The conclusion reached in the document is that the United States should extend the basic protections of the Geneva Convention to the defendants as a matter of policy, despite potential legal arguments against their entitlement to prisoner of war status. The document presents questions for review, including whether the defendants are entitled to prisoner of war status under the Geneva Convention as a matter of law, and whether the Convention precludes their prosecution in federal district court for crimes allegedly committed prior to the initiation of hostilities in Panama on December 20, 1989. Additionally, it addresses potential objections and complaints that the defendants may raise concerning their treatment or the conditions of their detention in federal district court.

February 1, 1990