Fulgencio Obiang Esono granted pardon after eight years in Equatorial Guinea

Fulgencio Obiang Esono, a 56-year-old engineer with deep ties to Pisa, Italy, has been granted a presidential pardon by the President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. The decision ends nearly eight years of detention for Esono, who was previously sentenced to over 58 years in prison.

Esono was arrested in 2018 in Togo under the pretext of a job interview before being transferred to the Black Beach prison in Equatorial Guinea. He had been convicted in 2019 as part of a mass trial involving over 130 defendants accused of participating in an attempted coup against the president.

Italian officials, including Pisa Councilor Riccardo Buscemi and Senator Ylenia Zambito, expressed satisfaction with the outcome. Buscemi noted the case involved significant institutional efforts, specifically thanking Minister Tajani for his personal involvement in securing Esono's release. The pardon allows Esono to return to Italy as a free man.