Amnesty Aims to Encourage All Political Parties to
Participate in National Dialogue
MALABO, Equatorial Guinea—October 24, 2014— Equatorial Guinea’s
President, Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, has signed an amnesty decree granting pardon
to all citizens who had been convicted of political crimes, whether or not they have served or are serving
sentences, and to those who have begun any disciplinary action that constitutes
an obstacle to the exercise of political activities.
President Obiang signed the General Amnesty Decree within the framework
of the National Political Dialogue, a national roundtable dialogue aimed at
legalizing all political parties to which all legalized political parties and national
political forces outside the country have been invited. “Through this General
Amnesty Decree, the Government guarantees the Diaspora’s participation in the
national dialogue,” said Obiang.
“The General Amnesty provides general forgiveness, turning a new leaf
and forgetting the past,” he said. The government has taken this step to show
everyone its political will is firm. The National Dialogue will allow all the
national political parties to carry out their programs.”
He said in his signing statement, “…in order to offer greater liberty,
security and guarantees in the next process of national dialogue proposed by
the Government, it is necessary to grant Total Amnesty to those who through a
final sentence were made prisoners or were prevented from exercising their
political rights in the country.”
To further
encourage the political exiles residing in Spain to attend the National Dialogue,
the government announced that it would cover their airfare through Equatorial
Guinea’s national airline, Ceiba Intercontinental, on its Madrid-Malabo flights.
The
National Dialogue will take place next month in Equatorial Guinea.
DECREE NUMBER 127 of 2014, dated October 21,
grants General Amnesty in Equatorial Guinea to all persons convicted for
political offenses and to those who are in a judicial process for the same
offenses:
Constituting the Fundamental Objective of My Government, since the
historical changes in the country in 1979, the gradual transformation of the
Republic of Equatorial Guinea into a State ruled by Law, where individual and
collective freedoms find their positive response to the practical application
of the International Covenant of Political, Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights, as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Government, having signed and ratified the aforementioned
international instruments and others of a similar nature that promote and
protect human rights of Citizens in the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.
Whereas the provisions of the Basic Law of Equatorial Guinea, regarding
the rights of the citizens, stated in Article 13, should be enjoyed without
limitations except those established by law.
Whereas the rights and freedoms recognized by the Basic Law of
Equatorial Guinea and the cited international instruments are essential to the
full development of citizens at all levels of the socio-political life of the
country.
Whereas Amnesty, in its broadest sense, involves the concept of a full
pardon and forgetting the responsibilities and offenses of the individuals or
those persons who receive its benefits, has constituted a legal practice used
by the Government to promote national reconciliation, unity, solidarity and
social cohesion, in order to reach a solid consensus on national interests; all
political actors in Equatorial Guinea should lay down their personal ambitions
to ensure the interest of the Nation, which is to continue to preserve the
Peace, Political and Social Stability of the Nation.
Whereas, furthermore, the successful celebration of the Forty-Sixth
Anniversary of National Independence in the city of Ebebiyin, on October 12 of
this year, an event in which the People externalized their overflowing joy and
happiness for the atmosphere of peace, stability, development and prosperity.
This environment of material and moral satisfaction of the People should extend
to all Equatorial Guinean families and households, to allow broad participation
of all the political actors in the national dialogue scheduled for next
November, between the Government and the Political Parties of the country,
within the framework of the binding National Covenant, without limitations
imposed by a penalty or coercive judgment or other legal impediment.
As it is My will to preserve these rights for a physical and moral
integration of the citizens, and in order to offer greater liberty, security and
guarantees in the next process of national dialogue proposed by the Government,
it is necessary to grant Total Amnesty to those who through a final sentence
were made prisoners or were prevented from exercising their political rights in
the country.
By virtue and in exercise of the powers conferred on me by the Basic
Law in its Article 41 (point I);
I HEREBY DECREE
Article One - Total Amnesty
is granted to all citizens convicted by the courts of Equatorial Guinea for
political crimes in the exercise of their activities, whether or not they are
fulfilling their corresponding sentences, and to those who have entered into an
initiation of disciplinary action that constitutes an obstacle to the exercise
of political activities.
Article Two - The
Ministries of Justice, Religious Affairs and Penitentiary Institutions, of
National Defense, of National Security, and of Internal Affairs and Local
Corporations, will each be given authority in its field of competence, to
ensure the strict compliance with this Decree.
Final provision
This Decree shall enter into force on the date of its signing and
publication by the National News Media.
I hereby issue this Decree, in the city of Malabo on October 21, 2014.
FOR A BETTER GUINEA
Obiang Nguema Mbasogo
President of the Republic
