Via Reuters: Judge clears way for Noriega’s French extradition

A U.S. judge on Friday denied former Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega’s demand for a speedy return home when his U.S. prison term ends next month and said nothing stood in the way of a French extradition request.

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Noriega faces much more serious charges in Panama than in France. He has been convicted in absentia in his homeland for murder and human rights violations, including the 1985 beheading of Hugo Spadafora, an outspoken opponent.

His attorneys say he wants to go home to clear his name there.

Recent reforms of the penal code in Panama, however, could mean that Noriega would serve his the 20-year prison term awaiting him there under house arrest, because he is over 70 years old.