Please help

Five former members of the opposition Progress Party of Equatorial Guinea, PGGE (Partido del Progreso de Guinea Ecuatorial) have been held incommunicado for more than a year in Black Beach prison in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in conditions that may amount to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

Six former members of the PPGE - Gerardo Angüe Mangue, Bonifacio Nguema Ndong, Cruz Obiang Ebele, Juan Ecomo Ndong, Emiliano Esono Michá and Gumersindo Ramírez Faustino – were arrested by security personnel without a warrant in Malabo in March and April 2008. The six men were held without charge until three days before their trial started on 17 June 2008. Five of them were held for several weeks at Malabo Central Police Station before being transferred to Black Beach prison, where they joined Gerardo Angüe Mangue who had been held there since his arrest.

Several of the men were tortured or ill-treated in pre-trial detention, including with beatings, electric shocks and being suspended from the ceiling. They were made to sign statements under duress before being charged. The three-day trial finished on 19 June 2008 and on 7 July they were convicted of illegal possession of arms and ammunition.

The trial was unfair and did not conform to international standards for fair trials. Bonifacio Nguema Ndong was given a one-year prison term and was released in March 2009, after completing his sentence. The other five were sentenced to six years’ imprisonment. No evidence was produced in court to substantiate the charges and no arms were found on them or in their homes. The court dismissed the men’s allegations that they had been forced to make their statements.

Amnesty International considers them to be prisoners of conscience who were arrested for their past membership of the PPGE.

The five men continue to be held without access to their families, friends or lawyers as all prison visits in Equatorial Guinea were suspended in December 2007. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture was able to see them in prison in November 2008 and he expressed concern about their de facto incommunicado detention which, he said, amounted to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. The food provided is inadequate, and there is no medical care provision, as regular visits by a doctor have now been suspended and medicines are not provided. Only those who become acutely ill may be taken to hospital for treatment.

Act Now

1. Write to the presesident of Equatorial Guinea:

• calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Gerardo Angüe Mangue, Cruz Obiang Ebele, Juan Ecomo Ndong, Emiliano Esono Michá and Gumersindo Ramírez Faustino;

• urging him to ensure that while they are in prison they are treated humanely, are allowed visits by family, friends and lawyers and that they receive medical treatment as required;

• calling for an investigation into reported torture and ill-treatment and for those suspected of responsibility to be brought to justice.

General Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo
Presidente de la República
Gabinete del Presidente
de la República Malabo
República de Guinea Ecuatorial

2. Write a letter of solidarity to the five prisoners:

We are thinking of you and send our best regards for yourself and your family. We are writing to the President urging your immediate and unconditional release.

(Pensando en usted/es - Thinking of you (in singular and plural)) y le/s enviamos nuestros cordiales saludos a usted/es y su/s familia/s. Le estamos escribiendo al Presidente Obiang pidiendo su libertad inmediata e incondicional [singular and plural]]

NOTE: Please put your letter/s in an envelope marked “For the attention of [name of prisoner/s]” and place it inside another envelope to the address below:

Sr Don Fabian Nsue Nguema
Apartado de Correos 587
Malabo
Guinea Ecuatorial

 

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