Pope Leo visited a prison in Equatorial Guinea, prisoners greeted him with shouts of "freedom"
Kyiv • UNN
The Pontiff called for prisoners to be given access to education and work during his visit to Bata. Prisoners chanted demands for release despite the presence of authorities.
Pope Leo, during his visit to Equatorial Guinea, visited a prison where inmates greeted him with shouts of "freedom," despite the rain and difficult conditions. This was reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
The visit was part of the pontiff's final day of a tour of four African countries. In the city of Bata, Leo spoke with prisoners who had gathered in the institution's courtyard, despite heavy rain.
During his speech, the Pope called for prisoners to have access to education and work.
Situation in the prison
After the speech and the pontiff's departure, the inmates began chanting "Freedom, freedom!" and jumping in the rain.
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According to human rights activists, prisoners in the country can be held for years without access to lawyers. At the same time, the authorities of Equatorial Guinea deny human rights violations.
We strive to guarantee human rights, fundamental rights and citizenship
Mass and political context
Earlier that day, the Pope held a mass in the city of Mongomo, where he called for reducing inequality between the rich and the poor.
The service was attended by the country's president Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and vice president Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue.
According to the Vatican, about 100,000 people gathered for the mass.
The visit to Equatorial Guinea was the final stage of the Pope's African tour, during which he visited four countries and traveled about 18,000 kilometers.
The pontiff also visited the site of the 2021 explosions at military barracks in Bata, where more than 100 people died.