REDRESS Pays Tribute to Client Nicholas Tuffney and Commits to Continuing His Pursuit of Justice

by Chris Esdaile, Senior Legal Advisor

We are deeply saddened by the death of our client, Nicholas Tuffney, whose determination to seek justice following his detention and ill-treatment in Panama inspired everyone who worked with him. 

For more than a decade, Nick pursued justice and accountability not only for himself, but in the hope that others would be spared similar experiences. We are honoured to continue that pursuit on his behalf. 

Nick passed away on 22 June 2026 in Maidstone, Kent, United Kingdom, after a long battle with cancer. 

A dual UK-US national, Nick spent 16 months in several Panamanian prisons in 2013-2014 on charges which he always contested, and which were eventually dropped. He was held in extremely poor and overcrowded conditions, forced to strip naked in front of other prisoners,  subjected to abuse by those charged with his care, and later treated in hospital while handcuffed to a hospital bed.  

Despite witnessing this ill-treatment, UK Embassy staff failed to raise the matter promptly with Panamanian authorities and did not provide him with adequate consular support. Even though the charges against him were eventually dropped, he was expelled from Panama in 2014, forcing him to leave behind his young children, whom he never saw again. 

After returning to the UK, REDRESS helped Nick to submit a complaint against the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to the Parliamentary Ombudsman, which investigates complaints of poor or unfair service from government departments and other public organisations. In 2019, the Ombudsman upheld his complaint, finding multiple instances of mishandling of the case by the FCDO. It found that Embassy staff had failed to respond promptly and adequately to his allegations of ill-treatment and should have done more to address his welfare concerns.  Following the Ombudsman’s recommendations, the FCDO apologised to Nick and provided him and his family with financial compensation. 

In Panama, a criminal complaint against the Panamanian officials allegedly responsible for his ill-treatment was dismissed in 2018. Later that year, Nick took his case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, where it has remained pending for almost eight years. Nick’s case illustrates just how long survivors are often forced to wait for justice, and the resilience and dedication required to pursue accountability through domestic and international mechanisms. It also underlines why organisations like REDRESS play a vital role in supporting survivors throughout what can be a long and difficult journey, not only through legal proceedings, but also through the personal challenges that accompany them.  

REDRESS repeatedly asked the Inter-American Commission to prioritise Nick’s case. Most recently, in April 2026, we informed the Commission of his deteriorating health and warned of “the profound risk that he could die before the Commission decides his case”, meaning that “he would never receive justice and reparation”. Unfortunately, that proved to be the case. His death also highlights a broader concern: severe delays in many regional and international human rights mechanisms, many of them exacerbated by funding constraints, mean that an increasing number of survivors risk dying before achieving justice. 

In 2022, Nick contributed to REDRESS’s research on what justice means in practice for UK-based survivors of torture. He reflected that recording and sharing his experiences of torture in Panamanian prisons had supported his own mental healing while also raising public awareness of these issues. He also emphasised the importance of receiving an acknowledgement of responsibility from the authorities responsible for his ill-treatment.

“Accountability is to accept what happened and to acknowledge it,”

he said.  

REDRESS extends our heartfelt sympathy to Nick’s family and friends. Before his death, Nick made it clear that he wanted his case before the Inter-American Commission to continue. We are honoured to respect that wish and remain committed to pursuing justice on his behalf. 

Read Nick Tuffney’s case here.