MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on violence against opposition activists in Equatorial Guinea, notably the case of Julio Obama Mefuman

14.2.2023 - (2023/2552(RSP))

with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 144 of the Rules of Procedure

Jordi Cañas, Petras Auštrevičius, Malik Azmani, Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Olivier Chastel, Katalin Cseh, Klemen Grošelj, Bernard Guetta, hSvenja Hahn, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Nathalie Loiseau, Karen Melchior, Javier Nart, Urmas Paet, Dragoş Pîslaru, Frédérique Ries, María Soraya Rodríguez Ramos, Michal Šimečka, Nicolae Ştefănuță, Ramona Strugariu, Dragoş Tudorache, Hilde Vautmans
on behalf of the Renew Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B9-0122/2023

NB: This motion for a resolution is available in the original language only.

B9‑0129/2023

European Parliament resolution on violence against opposition activists in Equatorial Guinea, notably the case of Julio Obama Mefuman

(2023/2552(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard its Rule 144,

1. whereas Teodoro Obiang Nguema’s regime’s decades-long disregard for and violation of human rights has resulted in barbarous acts, such as the persecution of hundreds of political opponents, government critics and human rights defenders, arbitrary detentions, torture and unlawful killings, as repeatedly denounced by human rights organisations;
2. whereas dual Spanish and Equatoguinean citizens and members of the Equatoguinean opposition Julio Obama Mefuman, Feliciano Efa Mangue and two Equatoguinean citizens living in Spain were taken from South Sudan in a kidnapping at the end of 2019 and flown to Equatorial Guinea on Teodoro Obiang's presidential plane;
3. whereas Obama Mefuman and Efa Mangue were tried without guarantees and sentenced in March 2020 in Equatorial Guinea to 60 and 90 years in prison, respectively, on charges of terrorism and participation in an alleged attempted coup against President Obiang in 2017; whereas, allegedly, the two were tortured repeatedly;
4. whereas Obama Mefuman, incarcerated since 2020, has died in a hospital in Mongomo; whereas no specific date of Mr Obama’s death was given by the authorities;

 

1. Strongly condemns and holds responsible the Equatoguinean dictatorial regime for the death of Spanish citizen Obama Mefuman;
2. Deplores Obiang’s dictatorial regime’s systematic and organized strategy of political persecution and repression of political opponents internally and in third countries; strongly condemns the country’s barbaric repression of human rights defenders, political opponents and government critics, which translates into arbitrary detention, harassment, abductions, forced transfers, torture, murders and death sentences;
3. Condemns the absence of protection against torture and ill-treatment for prisoners, and absence of basic defence and due process rights; laments the lack of a comprehensive list of political prisoners and their location;
4. Demands the immediate and unconditional halt to the hounding of members of the democratic opposition and the release of political prisoners;
5. Condemns in the strongest possible terms the torture and ill-treatment to which the political prisoners have been subjected, in breach of the human rights conventions signed by Equatorial Guinea;
6. Calls on the MS and the Commission, in their relations with the Government of Equatorial Guinea, to show the utmost firmness in demanding the end to all political persecution and repression and an independent international inquiry into the death of Obama Mefuman and the wider situation of political prisoners and human rights defenders; Calls for any cooperation with the regime of Teodoro Obiang Nguema must to be conditioned to the respect for human rights and democratic openness;
7. Calls on the MS and the Commission, in their relations with the country, to urge its government to allow the UN WG on Arbitrary Detention to visit Equatorial Guinea and provide them with access to detention facilities and prisons;
8. Calls for EU sanctions against the country’s leadership;
9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the African Union and the Government of Equatorial Guinea.