On the arbitrary detention of EU citizens Javier Marañón Montero and David Rodríguez Ballesta in Equatorial Guinea

European Parliament resolution on the arbitrary detention of EU citizens Javier Marañón Montero and David Rodríguez Ballesta in Equatorial Guinea

(2025/2904(RSP))

The European Parliament,

–having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.whereas Spanish citizens Javier Marañón Montero and David Rodríguez Ballesta were arrested in Malabo in mid-January 2025 in connection with a failed digital television project and were transferred on 7 April 2025 to the Black Beach prison, known for its inhumane conditions and systematic human rights violations;

B.whereas Spanish consular requests have been delayed or obstructed and the ambassador has been summoned; whereas the detention of these EU citizens has strained relations between Spain and Equatorial Guinea and raises concerns about the protection of EU citizens abroad;

C.whereas both men were placed in retaliatory isolation and denied access to their lawyers and families, following the illegal interception of their private conversations with Spanish diplomats;

D.whereas their health is reportedly seriously deteriorating, particularly Mr Montero, because of a hunger strike;

E.whereas since 1979, Equatorial Guinea has been ruled by Teodoro Obiang Nguema’s regime, widely considered as an authoritarian dictatorship characterised by serious human rights violations;

F.whereas international and non-governmental organisations have consistently reported on human rights breaches, including arbitrary detention and imprisonment of foreign nationals, life-threatening conditions in prisons and detention facilities, and violence against and torture of detainees;

G.whereas systemic corruption ensures that the nation’s immense oil wealth benefits only a small elite, leaving most of the population in extreme poverty;

1.Strongly condemns the repeated cases of unacceptable detention conditions and ill-treatment of prisoners in Equatorial Guinea; considers them to be a clear international human rights law violation; calls on the authorities to take immediate and unconditional measures, including lifting pretrial detention, to ensure the well-being of Mr Montero and Mr Ballesta and respect for their rights, including the right to a fair trial, access to medical care and legal advice;

2.Calls on the Equatoguinean authorities to ensure Mr Montero receives urgent medical treatment and demands that he receive an urgent medical evacuation;

3.Stresses that arbitrary arrests and detentions damage the country’s reputation, deter international investment and cooperation, and may detrimentally impact its relations with the EU;

4.Calls on the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) and the European External Action Service, in close coordination with the Spanish authorities, to intensify diplomatic efforts regarding their cases;

5.Expresses serious concern about the subordination of Equatorial Guinea’s judiciary to the regime and the lack of judicial accountability, the ongoing torture and inhumane prison conditions, the continued persecution of political opposition, severe restrictions on freedom of expression, and other human rights violations in the country;

6.Urges Equatorial Guinea to sign the Samoa Agreement;

7.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the VP/HR, the authorities of the Kingdom of Spain and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, the African Union, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.