Families of Two Spaniards Detained by Obiang Seek €180,000 from Foreign Ministry over Its ‘Inaction’

The families of two Spanish workers held in Malabo are demanding €180,000 from Spain’s Foreign Ministry, accusing it of failing to do enough to free them and protect their fundamental rights.

Javier Marañón Montero, a 51-year-old accountant from Córdoba, and David Rodríguez Ballesta, a 45-year-old video technical supervisor from Granada, have been detained since January 2025. Equatorial Guinean authorities allegedly hold them over a debt owed by the company where they work.

The claim for alleged state patrimonial liability was filed on May 21. It calculates physical and psychological harm at €150 per day for each man’s deprivation of liberty. The families say they will take the matter to court if the ministry rejects their demand.

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The wellbeing of David and Javier remains a priority to which we devote our utmost attention.

The relatives have met Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares and Carolina de Manueles, the director general for consular affairs, in two meetings. The ministry recently replied in writing that “the wellbeing of David and Javier remains a priority to which we devote our utmost attention.” It said Spain’s embassy in Malabo had secured regular access to the detainees, helped them contact relatives, delivered food and arranged medical visits. The ministry’s letter said 25 consular visits had taken place.

The men remain in Malabo’s Black Beach prison over alleged deficiencies in the installation of terrestrial digital television by Wayang Teknica, a consortium that won the contract to install the system in Equatorial Guinea in 2017. The company has since negotiated with Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the vice president and son of President Teodoro Obiang, over an alleged debt.

The families describe the detention as a kidnapping and say it may be an attempt to use the men politically or as bargaining chips in another judicial case of interest to Equatorial Guinean authorities. They appear to be referring to a terrorism case in Spain involving Carmelo Ovono Obiang, the president’s son, the interior minister and the director general of security. The claim says one detainee has attempted suicide and has been denied transfer to a hospital.

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For this reason, the action or inaction of Spain’s Foreign Ministry must be considered inadequate or insufficient, since the illegal deprivation of liberty and incommunicado detention suffered by the two Spanish citizens and their families continues.