Juan Ecomo Ndong

Juan Ecomo Ndong is an Equatoguinean political activist currently imprisoned on weapons possession charges. His imprisonment has drawn protest from the US State Department and Amnesty International, the latter considering him a prisoner of conscience.

Ndong was active with the Progress Party of Equatorial Guinea (PPGE), a banned political party opposing the long-dominant Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea. In mid-April 2008, he was arrested without a warrant. Within a week, fellow PPGE activists Cruz Obiang Ebele, Emiliano Esono Michá, Gumersindo Ramírez Faustino, Gerardo Angüe Mangue, and Bonifacio Nguema Ndong were also arrested. Ndong was held for one months at the police station, during which time he was allegedly beaten with cables to extract a confession. The six PPGE members were given sentences of one to five years apiece.

The US State Department considers Ndong a political prisoner, and has objected to his continued imprisonment. Amnesty International named him a prisoner of conscience, and has called for his immediate release.