Panama's Martinelli appeals court decision ruling him ineligible for 2024 election

Panamanian ex-President Ricardo Martinelli and his team have appealed an electoral court's decision finding him ineligible to run in this year's presidential elections, Martinelli's lawyer told Reuters on Thursday.

The court declared him ineligible earlier this week, citing his inability to run due to a nearly 11-year prison sentence for money laundering. Martinelli has been staying in the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama City since February after requesting asylum in the Central American nation.