Equatorial Guinea
Press excluded from Equatoguinean opposition trial

afrol News, 4 June - The most significant political trial in Equatorial Guinea's recent history is currently going on in Malabo, with 144 opposition members being accused of plotting a coup to overthrow the President. The press is however widely excluded from covering the case, which might eliminate the remaining legal opposition.

According to a report by the French media watchdog Reporters sans Frontières (RSF), the independent press faces great difficulties in covering the trial. "Since the trial started independent journalists have faced insidious pressure on a daily basis," RSF Secretary General Robert Ménard said, adding that the authorities apparently wanted to prevent the non-state media from "disseminating information on this political trial".

The group urged the Equatoguinean President, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, in a letter "to allow the independent press to cover freely and safely the trial of 144 opposition members accused of plotting against the government."

According to information RSF had received, presidential guards and members of the security forces threatened independent journalists almost daily. The group added that it was very difficult for them to find seats in the courtroom since the available places were reserved primarily for journalists from the state press. 

A photographer from the Equatoguinean journal 'La Opinión' had had his material confiscated by the police on 29 May. 'La Opinión' is one of the few publications in Equatorial Guinea not controlled by the government, but dependent on self-censorship to avoid regular confiscation of its copy. 

Another example included the international press. On Sunday 2 June, Rodrigo Angue Nguema - correspondent for the French news agency AFP, British BBC and Panafrican PANA - was not let to cover the ninth session of the process. Some regular police forces and agents of the presidential guard denied him the access to the courtroom because he had walked on a pavement "prohibited" by the police. Showing off his press accreditation to the police did not change the officers' opinion. 

Also present in Malabo, covering the opposition trial, are representatives of the Spanish press. 'El País' correspondent Ramón Lobo, who reports with great care from Malabo, has so far not described any harassment against him. 

RSF however reminded it also had written to President Obiang on 23 May to express its concern about the "constant degradation" of press freedom in Equatorial Guinea. On the previous day, the deputy information minister had announced his intention to require foreign correspondents to be officially accredited by his ministry. The accreditation, he had said, would be temporary, compulsory and renewable on a case-by-case basis.

Moreover, at the beginning of May, the authorities barred the Equatorial Guinea Press Association (ASOPGE) from organising the activities (exhibitions, conferences, etc.) it had scheduled to mark World Press Freedom Day. A few days later, Information Vice-Minister Alfonso Nsue Mokuy asked the government to ban the ASOPGE. The vice-minister accused the association of operating as a "parallel government" and not organising all of its activities in conjunction with the ministry. 

Sources: Based on RSF and afrol archives 

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