FACTBOX: Former Panama leader Noriega appears in court

(Reuters) - Manuel Noriega appeared in a Miami court on Thursday, trying to block his extradition to France on money-laundering charges and return to Panama instead after completing his U.S. prison term.

Here are some facts about the former Panamanian leader.

-- Noriega became the head of the Panama Defense Forces in 1983, becoming the de facto ruler of the Central American nation whose U.S.-built canal is a vital shipping channel.

-- A federal grand jury in Miami indicted Noriega in 1988 on charges he allowed Colombian drug traffickers to use neighboring Panama as a transshipping point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the United States.

-- U.S. forces invaded Panama in December 1989 after a U.S.-backed coup attempt failed to dislodge Noriega, whose rule was marked by banking shutdowns, political unrest and allegations of rigged elections.

-- Noriega took sanctuary at the Vatican Embassy in Panama City but surrendered in January 1990 after U.S. troops bombarded the building with loud and constant rock music. Noriega was handcuffed to an airplane toilet and flown to Miami for trial before a federal judge who declared him a U.S. prisoner of war entitled to the safeguards outlined in the Geneva Conventions.

-- Noriega was convicted on drug trafficking, money- laundering and racketeering charges in 1992 and initially sentenced to 40 years in prison. His sentence was later reduced to 30 years in prison, with further time off for good behavior and he is scheduled for release on September 9 after serving more than 17 years, including time served before his conviction.