Cartoonist Ramón Nsé Esono Ebalé, pictured in court in February 2018. The journalist was acquitted and released from jail but authorities in Equatorial Guinea have not renewed his passport, which means Esono Ebalé cannot return to El Salvador. (AFP/Samuel Obiang)
Cartoonist Ramón Nsé Esono Ebalé, pictured in court in February 2018. The journalist was acquitted and released from jail but authorities in Equatorial Guinea have not renewed his passport, which means Esono Ebalé cannot return to El Salvador. (AFP/Samuel Obiang)

CPJ joins call for Equatorial Guinea to renew cartoonist’s passport

CPJ, along with eight other human rights organizations, today urged the government of Equatorial Guinea to renew without further delay the passport of acclaimed cartoonist Ramón Nsé Esono Ebalé.

Esono Ebalé, who lives in El Salvador with his wife and child, was arrested on September 16, 2017, while visiting his home country, Equatorial Guinea, to renew his passport. The cartoonist was acquitted on February 28, when the state’s sole witness recanted his story, and released from prison on March 7, but he cannot leave the country until authorities issue his travel document, according to the joint statement.

The full statement can be read here