Equatorial Guinea launches case against France at International Court of Justice

Equatorial Guinea has filed a new case against France at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), reigniting a years-long dispute centered on a lavish mansion in Paris that was seized following a corruption conviction involving one of the country’s top officials.

The complaint, submitted on July 3 and made public by the court on Friday, calls on the ICJ to issue urgent measures to prevent France from selling the multi-million-euro property, located on Avenue Foch, one of the most prestigious addresses in the French capital, just steps from the Arc de Triomphe.

The property, featuring luxury amenities such as a private cinema, a hammam, and marble-and-gold fixtures, was confiscated by French authorities after Equatorial Guinea’s Vice President, Teodorin Obiang, was convicted of embezzling public funds. In 2021, France’s highest appeals court upheld a three-year suspended prison sentence and a 30 million euro (nearly USD 35 million) fine against Obiang, the son of Equatorial Guinea’s longtime president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

France’s actions were part of a broader legal crackdown targeting assets deemed to have been acquired through illicit enrichment by foreign leaders. The Avenue Foch residence, valued at well over 100 million euros (approximately USD 118 million), was among several luxury items seized.

In its latest filing, Equatorial Guinea alleges that French police forcibly entered the mansion in June and changed the locks on multiple doors. The government has asked the court to intervene, demanding that France allow "immediate, complete and unhindered access" to the property.