Noriega Is Classified as a Prisoner of War and Geneva Convention is Ruled Self-Executing

On December 8, 1992, U.S. District Judge William Hoeveler ruled that Manual Antonio Noriega is a prisoner of war (POW) and that the Geneva Conventions on the conduct of law of war are self-executing. The court decided that Mr. Noriega is a POW and can be incarcerated in a civilian, as distinguished from a military prison, only if receives full protection under the Geneva Convention. A reason for the decision was Noriega’s conviction of a felony…[more]