Gabon: arrest of anti corruption campaigners

After six days in detention, their fate remains uncertain.

On December 30 and 31 2008, in Libreville (Gabon), key civil society activists were arrested by security forces and brought to the police station of Libreville.

There is no legal basis for the detentions as no arrest warrant was issued. The detention of citizens advocating for good governance and financial transparency is against all international commitments ratified by Gabon.

• Gregory Ngbwa Mintsa, civil plaintiff in a case filed in France denouncing the alleged embezzlement of public funds in Gabon [1] ;
• Marc Ona Essangui, Coordinator of the international “Publish what you pay” (PWYP) campaign in Gabon, which calls for more transparent management of the country’s oil wealth;
• Georges Mpaga, President of the Gabonese civil society network for good governance in Gabon (ROLBG);
• Dieudonné Koungou, journalist at Tendance Gabon;
• Gaston Asseko, Technical Director of the Catholic Radio “Sainte-Marie”.

They have now been detained for 6 days and interrogated without access to legal representation. There is still no clarity over the reasons for their detention. According to information provided by relatives, the men are being held in very poor conditions [2].

The right to security, freedom of expression and freedom of association are fundamental rights. Those rights are recognized by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1966 and ratified by Gabon. The Gabonese constitution also states that no one should be subject to arbitrary detention. Furthermore, the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9th 2009, and specially its article 8.2, states that “the right, individually and in association with others, to submit to governmental bodies and agencies and organizations concerned with public affairs criticism and proposals for improving their functioning and to draw attention to any aspect of their work that may hinder or impede the promotion, protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms”.

The undersigned organizations call for the immediate and unconditional release of Misters Gregory Ngbwa Mintsa, Marc Ona Essangui, Georges Mpaga, Dieudonné Koungou and Gaston Asseko. They urge the international community to work for an end to their intimidation. Their only crime is to have called for the implementation of good governance rules elaborated by international institutions to which Gabon has adhered, that is to say transparency and probity in the management of public funds.

For further information:

Association Sherpa | Maître Bourdon (M. Gregory Ngbwa Mintsa's lawyer) | +33 6 08 45 55 46 | Yann Queinnec | +33 6 13 30 36 57 | Maud Perdriel-Vaissière | + 33 6 83 87 97 34

Transparence-International(France) | Myriam Savy | Daniel Lebègue | +33 6 87 88 53 07 | Julien Coll +33 6 72 07 28 65

Publish What You Pay (France) | Michel Roy| + 33 6 07 99 34 60

Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l’Homme (FIDH) | Gaël Grilhot / Karine Appy | + 33 1 43 55 25 18

Organisation mondiale contre la torture (OMCT) | Delphine Reculeau | + 41 22 809 49 39

Amnesty International France | Aurélie Chatelard | Laure Delattre | +33 1 53 38 65 77 | +33 6 76 94 37 05

Notes:

[1] On December 2 2008, Gregory Ngbwa Mintsa and Transparency International (France) lodged a complaint in France calling for an investigation into how assets (real estate and cars) have been acquired in France by three foreign heads of state - among them the President of Gabon, Omar Bongo Ondimba - and their family members.

[2] According to their relatives, Gregory Ngbwa Minsta is suffering from edemas. The others are detained almost naked in a damp basement. It is unclear if Gaston Asseko, who has just undergone an operation, has access to his post-operative treatment.