Equatorial Guinea hands over six Armenians granted pardon in coup plot

AP Worldstream
Jun 08, 2005

RODRIGO ANGUE NGEUMA MBA

Authorities in this oil-rich African nation on Wednesday released six
accused Armenian mercenaries granted a presidential pardon after
spending nearly 15 months behind bars.

The six were arrested March 6 in Equatorial Guinea’s capital, Malabo,
and sentenced to 14 and 24 years in prison in an alleged plot to
overthrow the government.

“This is a very important act, which once again proves the generous
and great humane nature of the president,” Justice Minister Angel
Masie Mibuy said at a ceremony inside the ministry that was attended
by Armenian officials and the former detainees.

Those released included an Armenian pilot that the government said was
hired to fly gunmen and material in for the plot, and five other crew
members.

An Armenian official said they would be flown home as soon as
possible.

On Tuesday, human rights group Amnesty International said that the
trial and detention of the group of alleged mercenaries had been rife
with human rights violation.

The London-based group also said the court repeatedly ignored
allegations that defendants had been tortured while under
interrogation in order to extract confessions.

Torture allegations emerged after one German defendant died in March
in the notorious Black Beach prison. Rights groups cited witness
accounts that he was wounded during torture, but authorities said he
died of malaria.

The alleged leader of the mercenaries, South African arms dealer Nick
Du Toit, and six other South Africans are still in detention. Du Toit
was sentenced to 34 years in prison, though he repudiated an alleged
confession that had provided the bulk of Equatorial Guinea’s case.

Equatorial Guinea opposition figure Severo Moto, in exile in Spain,
was sentenced in absentia to 63 years. Eight other opposition figures
also living in exile each were sentenced to 52 years in prison.

Equatorial Guinea alleges that Mark Thatcher _ son of former British
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher _ and other, mainly British,
financiers commissioned the bid to overthrow the 25-year-old regime of
Obiang and install an opposition politician as the figurehead leader
of Africa’s No. 3 oil producer.