61,000 Signatures Demand Release of Spaniards in Equatorial Guinea
The families of two Spanish citizens held in Equatorial Guinea for over 14 months have delivered a petition with more than 61,000 signatures to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, demanding the government take decisive action to secure their release.
David Rodríguez and Javier Marañón, natives of Andalusia, were arrested in January 2025 on allegations of business fraud related to the development of digital terrestrial television in the Central African nation. Their families, however, describe their situation as a “living hell,” characterized by physical deterioration and isolated detention conditions.
Pleas for Government Intervention
Following the delivery of the signatures in Madrid on Monday, relatives and supporters gathered outside the Spanish Congress. They held meetings with Members of Parliament, including Martina Velarde of the Podemos party and Enrique Santiago of Sumar, to advocate for the detainees.
The families expressed deep frustration with what they perceive as a lack of results from the Spanish government. In a public manifesto, they noted that while Spain often mobilizes “planes, ships, and ministers” to rescue citizens abroad, their loved ones remain trapped in grueling conditions after more than a year of preventive detention.
“Spain mobilizes resources to bring Spaniards back from wherever necessary,” the manifesto stated, “but in this case, we see no results.” To draw attention to the case, the families have sent hundreds of appeals to the Spanish Royal House, the Prime Minister’s office, the Ombudsman, and even the Vatican.
International Pressure and Sovereign Pushback
The case has reached the highest levels of European diplomacy. In October, the European Parliament called on Equatorial Guinean authorities to end the preventive detention of Rodríguez and Marañón, demanding they be granted fair trials, adequate medical care, and proper legal representation.
Equatorial Guinea—a former Spanish colony and member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP)—has reacted sharply to international criticism. The nation’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs defended its actions as a legitimate crackdown on corruption, asserting the independence of its judiciary.
“The Government regrets that some European institutions and personalities choose to question the independence of Equatorial Guinea’s judiciary instead of supporting legitimate efforts to fight corruption,” the ministry stated in a previous release.
Despite these diplomatic tensions, the Granada Ombudsman’s office has urged the Spanish government to increase its involvement to ensure the human rights of the two men are respected while they remain in the custody of the Equatorial Guinean judicial system.
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