Protest in Court after ruling in the Arquesio Arias case
The protesters carried banners with the faces of the magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice and Deputy Arias.
With banners in hand, a group of citizens held a protest on Saturday afternoon on the premises of the Supreme Court of Justice of Panama, after issuing the decision of not guilty to Deputy Arquesio Arias, who was accused of crimes against integrity and sexual freedom.
Court declares deputy Arquesio Arias not guilty of sexual crimes
The protesters presented a large banner showing the faces of 11 of the magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice and the image of the deputy.
It should be noted that the Court was surrounded by a contingent of police units, which proceeded to safeguard the integrity of the entity's property.
The protesters pointed out that the magistrates were accomplices of the deputy after passing the ruling.
On Friday night the Court decided to declare Arias not guilty through a vote that remained 5-4, and a qualified majority of 6-3 is required for a conviction, which provoked the reaction of the protesters, who claimed not to believe in justice.
Regarding this ruling, the Judicial Branch explained that: "regarding the crime of libidinous acts aggravated to the detriment of AML, after three votes, the Oral Trial Court did not reach a qualified majority vote (2/3 parts), to decide the guilt or not guilty of the deputy, and therefore he was not convicted. "
It should be noted that in addition to the protesters' questions, reactions from political and business personalities were also felt on social networks, such as deputies Juan Diego Vásquez, Walkiria Chandler and Ana Gisselle Rosas; and Katleen Levy and Nivia Rossana Castrellón, speaking out against this decision.
Deputy Arquesio Arias, elected in the Ngäbe Buglé region, was charged in 2018 and 2019 for the alleged commission of the crimes of carnal rape and libidinous acts, after being accused by young people from the Guna Yala region when he was practicing medicine in the gynecology specialty.
It should be noted that in the middle of the investigation the deputy was given house arrest as a precautionary measure and the payment of his salary as a deputy was suspended.
Court declares deputy Arquesio Arias not guilty of sexual crimes
The protesters presented a large banner showing the faces of 11 of the magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice and the image of the deputy.
It should be noted that the Court was surrounded by a contingent of police units, which proceeded to safeguard the integrity of the entity's property.
The protesters pointed out that the magistrates were accomplices of the deputy after passing the ruling.
On Friday night the Court decided to declare Arias not guilty through a vote that remained 5-4, and a qualified majority of 6-3 is required for a conviction, which provoked the reaction of the protesters, who claimed not to believe in justice.
Regarding this ruling, the Judicial Branch explained that: "regarding the crime of libidinous acts aggravated to the detriment of AML, after three votes, the Oral Trial Court did not reach a qualified majority vote (2/3 parts), to decide the guilt or not guilty of the deputy, and therefore he was not convicted. "
It should be noted that in addition to the protesters' questions, reactions from political and business personalities were also felt on social networks, such as deputies Juan Diego Vásquez, Walkiria Chandler and Ana Gisselle Rosas; and Katleen Levy and Nivia Rossana Castrellón, speaking out against this decision.
Deputy Arquesio Arias, elected in the Ngäbe Buglé region, was charged in 2018 and 2019 for the alleged commission of the crimes of carnal rape and libidinous acts, after being accused by young people from the Guna Yala region when he was practicing medicine in the gynecology specialty.
It should be noted that in the middle of the investigation the deputy was given house arrest as a precautionary measure and the payment of his salary as a deputy was suspended.