Panama detains former CIA station chief convicted in Milan kidnapping
washingtonpost.comWhen you believe your cause is so just as to be more important than obeying the law - go ahead do it, and then face the consequences of a fair trial judging your actions.
How does this case differ from Snowden's situation?
Someone who breaks the law while furthering the interests of the government is going to get more than a fair trial (c.f. the air force colonel who was pardoned by the prime minister of italy for his involvement in this same crime). Someone who breaks the law in contradiction to the interests of the government is going to get the least fair trial that the government can arrange for them.
>How does this case differ from Snowden's situation?
One case is an individual whistleblowing (at the very least in his mind) against his own government, and he is now on the run.
The other case is a foreign government operating agents performing activity that is illegal in that country and throughout the world.
Seem very different to me.
The closet parallel I can think of is the Rainbow Warrior bombing/murder case in New Zealand, where French agents performed the bombing. The result was detention of the spies, some diplomatic shenanigans and eventually a negotiated/arbitrated solution that even involved visa-free access for New Zealanders to France.
Generally the concept of 'fair trial' goes out the window when it becomes a nation-to-nation diplomatic issue such as this one. The individuals involved are recognized as acting as official agents of their governments. In that sense, they're more valuable for sending an international message or using like trading cards than the usual purposes of local criminal law (i.e., deterrence, retribution, rehabilitation).
How does this case differ from Snowden's situation?
One way in which it differs:
Robert Seldon Lady is far more likely to get a fair trial in Italy (and far less likely to be subject to solitary confinement, or other forms of torture during a prolonged delay before his trial) than Snowden is in the U.S.
Too bad the flight back to Italy won't cross Bolivian airspace.
Extra irony that it happened in Panama since we arrested their head of state.