PANAMA CITY, March 28, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The Panamanian government on Thursday granted convicted former president Ricardo Martinelli safe passage to leave the country, more than a year after he sought asylum at the Nicaraguan embassy.

Martinelli, who was sentenced to almost 11 years in prison in 2023 for money laundering, was given permission to travel to Nicaragua, Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha told reporters.

"Safe passage is granted for strictly humanitarian reasons as it will allow him... to continue his defense under more favorable conditions than the current ones," he said.

Martinelli, an ally of right-wing President Jose Raul Mulino, will be able to receive medical treatment "that will significantly improve his quality of life," Martinez-Acha said.

The 73-year-old, who was president from 2009 to 2014, was convicted of using stolen public money to buy a stake in a publishing house.

Martinelli, who claims to be the victim of political persecution, took refuge in the Nicaraguan embassy in February 2024, shortly before an arrest warrant was issued for him.

He was the favorite in polls to win a second term in May 2024 presidential elections, but was disqualified and replaced by his running mate Mulino.

A millionaire businessman when he became president, Martinelli has been investigated for multiple corruption scandals since leaving office.

"With my son, family and loved ones, I have made the decision to accept safe passage as a political refugee" to Nicaragua, Martinelli said Thursday on Instagram. "I am innocent of an unjust political process," he added.