Urgent Action: JAILED HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER AT RISK OF TORTURE (Equatorial Guinea 21.24)

On March 1, Anacleto Micha Ndong, an Equatoguinean human rights defender, was transferred to the Malabo prison of Black Beach on pre-trial detention. He has been accused of outrage and calumny by a gendarme who Anacleto had accused of torturing him the last time he was detained in Black Beach in 2023. This gendarme still works at Black Beach so there are serious concerns for the human rights defender’s safety. On January 26, the human rights defender was violently arrested at his home, in Malabo and held for 33 days at the Malabo gendarmerie station, without knowing the charges against him. Anacleto Micha Ndong is detained solely for peacefully exercising his human rights. The authorities must immediately release him.

take action:

• Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
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contact information:

sample letter:

His Excellency,

I am writing to you regarding Equatoguinean human rights defender, Anacleto Micha Ndong, a member of the civic platform, ‘Guinea Ecuatorial también es nuestra’. On March 1, Anacleto Micha Ndong was sent to the Malabo prison of Black Beach where he is currently detained on pre-trial detention. He has been accused of outrage and calumny by a gendarme who works at Black Beach prison, after Anacleto Micha Ndong started proceedings against him for allegedly torturing him the last time he was detained at Black Beach in 2023. There are therefore serious concerns for the human rights defender’s safety as he is now at risk of torture and other ill-treatment. 

On January 26, Anacleto Micha Ndong was arrested in his house in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea’s capital, by four members of security forces in civilian clothes. Once at the police station, Anacleto Micha Ndong was questioned about some fires that took place a little while before at Malabo’s promenade. The security officers were insinuating that he was the originator of these fires despite not having any evidence against him. Anacleto Micha Ndong has been detained for more than a month without seeing a judge or knowing the charges against him. Moreover, the arrest and detention seem to be motivated by his activism, especially his critical posts against the government on social media.  

I request that you immediately release Anacleto Micha Ndong from arbitrary detention and ensure that his allegations of torture are impartially and effectively investigated, and anyone suspected of culpability is brought to justice in a fair trial.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

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