Gabon's military-led government denies "any form of torture or mistreatment" of deposed President Ali Bongo Ondimba's family, a spokesperson has said, in response to a legal case filed in France.
Lawyers for the Bongo family told AFP on Tuesday they had lodged a complaint in France into accusations of torture and detention in Gabon of the president, his wife and three sons.
"The government wishes to state emphatically that they are not being subjected to any form of torture or mistreatment as stated by their lawyers," government spokeswoman Laurence Ndong said on the state-owned Gabon 1ere channel late on Wednesday.
She also pointed out that Ali Bongo was free to leave the country.
'Slanderous' accusations
He had ruled the West African country since 2009 but was overthrown by military leaders on August 30, moments after being proclaimed the winner in a presidential election.
Coup leaders accused Bongo, whose family ruled the country for 55 years, of massive corruption.
Gabon's current ruler General Brice Oligui Nguema, who led the coup, is expected to visit Paris in the coming days.
Ndong said the "slanderous" accusations were "damaging Gabon's image" and that Bongo's wife Sylvia Bongo and son Noureddin Bongo had been "charged with extremely serious offences."
'Arbitrary detention'
Following the coup, Sylvia and Noureddin Bongo were detained in an embezzlement investigation.
Bongo himself was initially held under house arrest but later released.
In March, lawyers asked a UN working group to recognise their "arbitrary detention" after the coup.
The latest complaint denounces "acts of barbarism committed against Ali Bongo Ondimba, Sylvia Bongo and their sons Noureddin, Jalil and Bilal", lawyers Francois Zimeray and Catalina de la Sota said on Tuesday.
'Forced to watch'
It says the first four are French nationals.
Sylvia Bongo was "forced to watch" as Noureddin Bongo "was repeatedly tortured, beaten with a hammer and crowbar, strangled, whipped and electrocuted with a Taser," Zimeray and de la Sota said.
Bongo and two of his sons have gone on hunger strike in protest, the lawyers added.
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