{"id":12148,"date":"2025-10-28T20:23:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T20:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/protect-lawyers.org\/case\/gemma-jones\/"},"modified":"2025-10-31T17:05:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T17:05:23","slug":"gemma-jones","status":"publish","type":"listing","link":"https:\/\/protect-lawyers.org\/en\/case\/gemma-jones\/","title":{"rendered":"Gemma Jones"},"content":{"rendered":"

ALERT 28\/10\/2025<\/a>
\nALERT 25\/07\/2024<\/a>
\nALERT 13\/02\/2024<\/a>
\nALERT 13\/12\/2023<\/a>
\nALERT 08\/11\/2021<\/a><\/p>\n

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<\/a>Equatorial Guinea: Gemma Jones subjected to smear campaign by the authorities<\/h2>\n

28 October 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Observatory is deeply concerned about the disinformation and smear campaign targeting lawyer Gemma Jones, following the manipulated broadcast of an audio recording by Equatorial Guinea’s public television station<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In February 2023, Ms Jones was representing Mohamad Aladib, a businessman and shareholder in Wayang\u00a0Teknical\u00a0Solu\u00e7\u00f5es\u00a0Globais (Wayang), a company holding a public contract for the implementation of television digital terrestre (TDT). Ms Jones’ client had been excluded from internal decisions and had entrusted her with the task of negotiating his exit and the eventual sale of his shares. Mr Aladib demanded the execution of the public contract and the reimbursement of his shares for an amount of two million Euros.<\/p>\n

During a board general meeting of Wayang in April 2023, attended by other shareholders and lawyers, a conversation was recorded without Ms Jones’ knowledge.<\/p>\n

On 3 October 2025, Equatorial Guinea’s national television broadcast a 30-second edited extract from this recording. It suggested that Ms Jones had solicited a bribe of two million as the representative of the daughter of the Equatorial Guinean President, Mar\u00eda Jes\u00fas Obiang Mangue (Mohamad Aladib’s ex-wife).<\/p>\n

The recording was altered, and the statements taken out of context suggest that Gemma Jones was blackmailing Wayang, when in fact she was referring to financial irregularities within the company and threatening to refer the matter to the National Anti-Corruption Department. This misleading broadcast was intended to divert attention from a corruption scandal involving several prominent figures in Equatorial Guinea.<\/p>\n

Since the broadcast, Ms Jones and her firm have been facing a massive smear campaign on social media. Although the public broadcaster has stopped airing the report, the manipulated content continues to circulate online, causing lasting damage to her reputation[1]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This attack is yet another attempt to intimidate a lawyer committed to protecting democracy and the rule of law.<\/p>\n

The Observatory strongly condemns\u00a0<\/strong>this smear campaign orchestrated by the public media.<\/p>\n

The Observatory calls\u00a0on the national television <\/strong>station to issue a public apology and an official rectification of the situation.<\/p>\n

The Observatory urges the Equatorial Guinean authorities\u00a0<\/strong>to open an independent investigation into the manipulation of the recording and the damage done to Ms Gemma Jones’ reputation.<\/p>\n

The Observatory calls <\/strong>for\u00a0guarantees to be given for the safety of the lawyer and her team when travelling.<\/p>\n

The Observatory recalls to the Republic of Equatorial Guinea the\u00a0<\/strong>United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers<\/strong><\/a>, in particular\u00a0Principle 17<\/strong>: \u201cWhere the security of lawyers is threatened as a result of discharging their functions, they shall be adequately safeguarded by the authorities\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The Observatory also recalls\u00a0Article 17 of the\u00a0<\/strong>International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights<\/strong><\/a>, which states that: \u201c1. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his honour and reputation.<\/em><\/p>\n

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  1. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks\u201d.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    Find us on<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0:<\/em><\/p>\n