Spanish radio reported that journalists covering the summary court martial of 117 defendants belonging to the Bubi ethnic group on the island of Bioko had been ordered to leave the former Spanish colony, bordered by Cameroon and Gabon.

"The Equatorial Guinean government thinks that since the trial of those alleged to be responsible for last January's incidents has now ended and the verdict is awaited, the Spanish journalists have now fulfilled their main mission, and therefore they will have to leave," Spanish Radio said.

Country's image 'sullied'

According to a report in the Spanish newspaper 'El Pais', Equatorial Guinean Foreign Minister Miguel Oyono told the Spanish ambassador in the capital Malabo, Jacobo Gonzalez, that the journalists' coverage of the trial had "not come up to expectations".

"The Malabo government accuses them of insulting President Teodoro Obiang Nguema and his government and of sullying the image of the country abroad," the paper said.

The government has denied expelling the journalists, saying they had left for Madrid on the last available flight before the expiry of their visas.

But Mr Oyono complained that they had taken the side of the accused in their coverage of the trial.

Torture claims

El Pais said its own correspondent had been reprimanded for reporting that some defendants in the trial showed signs of torture, and for giving "excessive prominence" to the statements of defence lawyers in the case.

The trial of 117 people by a military court in Malabo ended last Friday. The defendants are accused of staging a rebellion in January to achieve independence for Bioko. Four soldiers were killed in the violence.

Verdicts are expected to be handed down on Monday, and the prosecuting authorities have reportedly requested death sentences for 18 of the accused.