Spain’s National High Court has decided to close an investigation into three individuals, including Carmelo Ovono Obiang, son of Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang. The inquiry began after a complaint was filed by relatives of victims who claimed that four members of the Movement for the Liberation of Equatorial Guinea (MLGE3R) were abducted in South Sudan in late 2019 and transported to Guinea on President Obiang’s presidential plane. The Spanish court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to suggest that these actions took place, even in part, on Spanish territory. More details.
The accused also included the Security Director Isaac Nguema Endo and Equatoguinean Security Minister Nicolas Obama Nchama. The court acknowledged that while the supposed crimes might not have occurred in Spain, the fact that two of the abducted individuals were Spanish citizens living in Spain at the time of the incident does raise legal concerns. More here.
It’s important to note that the court’s decision to close the case doesn’t imply the end of legal actions against the accused if found guilty in a foreign country. The Spanish legal system contains a safeguard clause allowing for the prosecution of crimes in Spain if a foreign state is unwilling or unable to investigate.
Adding further complexity to the case, it was alleged that the Spanish citizens among the abducted were denied consular assistance and were subsequently incarcerated in Equatorial Guinea on charges of terrorism. One of the imprisoned Spaniards, Mefuman, died during his incarceration in 2023. His death was condemned by the European Union. EU condemnation.
President Teodoro Obiang, who has been in power since 1979, has an notorious record of human rights abuses According to Amnesty International. His regime has been marked by allegations of torture and extrajudicial killings.