Malabo – Equatorial Guinea on Saturday denied Amnesty International’s accusations it had committed human rights violations during a crackdown on crime.
The London-based rights group on Thursday accused the authorities of torture, arbitrary detentions and forced disappearances since a campaign to root out criminality was launched in May.
“Equatorial Guinea is totally disregarding the declarations of Amnesty International on human rights because they lack basis and credibility in our country,” Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang said on Twitter.
President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, 80, has ruled Equatorial Guinea with an iron fist for more than 43 years, making him the longest-serving non-monarchic leader in the world.
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His son, the vice president, launched the crackdown on May 9 to “clean” the country’s streets and show young offenders the “right path”. The authorities have imposed a 10 pm to 6 am curfew.
Amnesty said thousands of young men have since been arrested across the country.
It urged the authorities in Malabo to “offer transparent information on deaths in detention and torture”, and ensure suspects are given “fair trials before ordinary civilian courts”.
It called for an immediate end to the crackdown, saying “it is entirely possible to deal with criminal cases while also respecting human rights”.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Getty Images
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