Noriega, 74, appeared before a judge in a Paris court looking very weak following his flight, one of his lawyers, Olivier Metzner, said.

Noriega, partial paralyzed because of a stroke, was ousted by U.S. troops sent in by President George H.W. Bush in 1989. Noriega held out for a while in the Vatican diplomatic mission where U.S. troops bombarded him for days with deafening pop and heavy metal music.

He was taken to Miami and was sentenced to prison for convictions on drug trafficking, money laundering and racketeering charges. The original 40-year sentence was reduced over the years and he was released from prison in 2007.

Noriega was convicted in absentia in France in 1999 and sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined $15 million for allegedly using $3 million in proceeds from drug trafficking to buy luxury apartments in Paris.

Noriega's lawyers fought the French government's extradition proceedings for years but they lost the battle when U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton signed a surrender warrant allowing Noriega's extradition.

French law demands that prisoners sentenced in their absence be retried upon their arrest in the country.

His appearance in Paris marks the beginning of what could be another protracted legal affair for Noriega whose lawyers are basing some of the case for his release on what they claim was his unique status in the U.S. penitentiary system. He was the first foreign head of state to be convicted and the only official prisoner of war.

Yves Leberquier, one of Noriega's lawyers, said Noriega should be treated as a prisoner of war in France, as he was while in the United States.

''He should have conditions worthy of a prisoner of war, which French jails can absolutely not provide,'' said Leberquier.

Noriega's lawyers will also say that he should have immunity from prosecution because he was a head of state at the time of his alleged crimes.

Even if he wins his legal battle in France, he could find himself on another plane, this time to Panama where faces a 54-year jail sentence for his alleged involvement in killing political opponents when he was in power from 1981-89.

However, Panamanian authorities may not be in a rush to have him return for fear of uncovering old political wounds, creating instability.

Noriega was known for his brutality but he was also protected by the United States for much of his military and political career as a Cold War ally. However, his increasingly open involvement with the notorious Medellin drug cartel in Colombia eventually forced the hand of the U.S. government.

France's political and business leaders may also feel unease during any Noriega trial. Like the United States, France backed Noriega and in 1987 gave him the country's highest award, the Legion of Honor.

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