President Obiang Grants Amnesty To All Citizens Convicted Of Political Crimes

Amnesty Aims to Encourage All Political Parties to Participate in National Dialogue

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Oct 24, 2014, 10:43 ET

MALABO, Equatorial Guinea, Oct. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 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.

Full General Amnesty Decree can be found here http://guineaecuatorialpress.com/noticia.php?id=5815&lang=en

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

About Equatorial Guinea

The Republic of Equatorial Guinea (República de Guinea Ecuatorial) is the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa, and one of the smallest nations on the continent. In the late-1990s, American companies helped discover the country's oil and natural gas resources, which only within the last five years began contributing to the global energy supply. Equatorial Guinea is now working to serve as a pillar of stability and security in its region of West Central Africa. The country hosted the 2011 Summit of the African Union. For more information, visit http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com.

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SOURCE Republic of Equatorial Guinea