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Svetozar Marović

Svetozar Marović (Светозар Маровић; born 31 March 1955) is a Montenegrin lawyer and politician who served as the last head of state and head of government of Serbia and Montenegro from 2003 until Montenegro's declaration of independence in 2006.

On 15 December 2015, he was arrested in Montenegro for charges of corruption, and on 18 August 2017, his family's assets were frozen. He currently resides in Serbia, where he fled, just before he was found guilty in 2017. Montenegro has repeatedly requested his extradition from Serbia.

In April 2022, Marović was added to the US Treasury's Specially Designated Nationals List of individuals facing Balkans-related sanctions.

Early life
Svetozar Marović was born on 31 March 1955 in Kotor to Jovo Marović and Ivana Marović (née Pavić). His father was a native of the Grbalj region. Marović finished elementary and high school in his hometown, going on to receive his degree from Veljko Vlahović University's Faculty of Law in Titograd (now Podgorica).

Early political career
Marović began his career as a paralegal in the local parliament of Budva. He served as President of the Socialist Youth Union of Budva, soon becoming President of the Socialist Youth Union of Montenegro. During this time, he attracted controversy for holding an outdoor meeting of the presidency where he spoke up against the old guard of the party, as well as for publishing a brochure titled "Stop Electoral Fraud" in 1984.

He was dismissed from Titograd and went back to Budva, where he became Administrator of Public Revenues, before becoming President of the local government. During this time, he renovated Budva following the earthquake in 1979, starting the Theatre City Budva (Budva Grad teatar) project in 1987 with theatre director Ljubiša Ristić.

Anti-bureaucratic revolution
In January 1989, Marović seized power over the Socialist Republic of Montenegro together with his partners, Momir Bulatović and Milo Đukanović, in an administrative putsch within the League of Communists of Montenegro. With the blessings of the Serbian Communists' leader, Slobodan Milošević, it became known as the "anti-bureaucratic revolution". Marović participated after having stepped down from his position as President of the local government in Budva.

After the first multi-party parliamentary election in 1990, at which the Communist League of Montenegro (SKCG) won the majority, he became a member of Montenegro's parliament, and later served as speaker for three terms. A couple of months after their election win, SKCG was repackaged into the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS).

Split in DPS and crime allegations
Along with Đukanović and Bulatović, Marović had been a loyal supporter of Slobodan Milošević in all of his policies, but in 1997 he followed Milo Đukanović who broke away from Milošević's influence.

In 2001, former Montenegrin president Momir Bulatović released a tell-all memoir named Pravila ćutanja (The Rules of Keeping Silent), accusing Marović, among many others, of accepting large financial compensation in return for turning a blind eye to widespread oil and tobacco smuggling in Montenegro during the 1990s. Marović and Bulatović are former party colleagues. In addition to former close friendship, they share an intimate bond through the godfather relations between their families.

Despite living in close proximity, as well as sharing many personal and political connections, the two have not spoken to each other in nearly a decade. In the book, Bulatović describes a private conversation during the 1990s in which he confronted Marović about the corruption and quotes his answer: "You see, Momir, you're the first ever President of Montenegro, that's the legacy you're passing on to your children. Me, I want something more concrete to leave my kids with."

Marović never responded directly to these claims, mentioning only that he hasn't read the book. He added that he was taught "the rule of keeping silent about untruth and slander".

Presidency 2003–2006
As President of Serbia and Montenegro's loose state union, the position Marović found himself in was complicated. DPS, Marović‘s party, was the leading force of the Montenegrin separatist movement, and his party president, Milo Đukanović, a notable Montenegrin nationalist. It was difficult for Marović to reconcile the views of his administration with his duties as President.

Beginning on 7 March 2003, Marović's term in office as President of Serbia-Montenegro involved reconciliation with Croatian and Bosnian citizens. Marović was involved in a military equipment scandal that erupted in September 2005.

Apologies
On 10 September 2003, during Croatian president Stjepan Mesić's state visit to Belgrade, Marović delivered a public apology for "all evils done by any citizen of Montenegro and Serbia to anyone in Croatia". Mesić followed suit, delivering a counter-apology to "anyone whom citizens of Croatia caused any pain or damage, anytime, anyplace."

This was particularly significant because it was in contrast to his views from the beginning of the 1990s when he was the author of an infamous phrase: "war for peace," which is how he described and justified the Montenegrin reservists' assault on Dubrovnik and Konavle in 1991.

On 13 November 2003, he visited Sarajevo and issued another apology, this time to the citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina on the behalf of Serbia-Montenegro, for "any evil or calamity that anyone in Bosnia-Herzegovina suffered at the hands of anyone from Serbia-Montenegro". Unlike Stipe Mesić few months prior, Marović's Sarajevo hosts, members of Bosnia's 3-man rotating Presidency weren't moved to reciprocate with any kind of an apology.

Military equipment scandal
On 1 September 2005, Serbian Minister of Finance Mlađan Dinkić called a press conference to publicly show a military contract signed by Svetozar Marović. It was a 5-year arrangement between Serbia-Montenegro's Council of Ministers and Mile Dragić Company of Zrenjanin, stipulating terms of equipment supply to the Army of Serbia-Montenegro (VSCG) for the period between 2006 and 2011. Dinkić revealed: "Among other things, 69,000 helmets were ordered as well as more than 60,000 body armour suits for an Army that numbers 28,000 people!? Also 500 fighter pilot jackets for a fleet of barely 30 planes!"

While the brunt of the responsibility was leveled at Minister of Defense Prvoslav Davinić, Marović was called out for signing and thus legitimizing such an obviously inflated contract that would end up costing the taxpayers of Serbia €296 million.

After budget commission confirmed Dinkić's allegations he went further on 15 September 2005, saying "it's completely clear Marović and Davinić were fully in the know about everything that went on" and also implicated several more defense ministry and army officials.

Davinić eventually resigned, the damaging contract was revoked, but Marović fought back in a written release accusing Dinkić of "libel and destroying state union's institutions". The statement continued: "As state union's president I'm responsible for everything. They should not blame anybody, they should not sue anybody, and they should not judge anybody – but me. Because of that, they should submit everything they have against me. But neither to their party investigators, nor to domestic courts they're squeezing with their temporary ministerial careers. Let them submit everything they have and more to the best, most experienced, most competent, highest paid and best regarded European and world investigators and courts and they will get an answer – that Svetozar Marović is a clean and honest man."

Over the next few days, members of Marović's cabinet, Montenegrin regime officials, as well as PM Milo Đukanović himself were all threatening to pull all Montenegrin staff from Belgrade.

When the dust somewhat settled, Dinkić announced that "budget inspection met many obstructions within Ministry of Defense during the investigation" but that it's determined "to close the issue and put on trial those who are responsible". Whether those include Davinić and Marović, Dinkić was less clear but agreed that "prosecutor's office should go as high up the chain of command as necessary".

2006 Montenegrin independence vote
Marović's political party, the DPS, backed full independence for Montenegro, and Marović campaigned for a "yes" vote in the 2006 referendum on Montenegrin independence. This put him in the unique position of supporting the breakup of the state in which he was the head. In the wake of the referendum passing, Marović said that on 1 June 2006, he would "hold the last session of the Council of Ministers and resign...from the post of the president of the state union."

Post-presidency
In 2007, Svetozar was re-elected Vice-President of the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro with a new agenda. During the conflicts between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the uncanonical Montenegrin Orthodox Church, Marović stated support of the SOC, being the one recognized. In October 2007, he led the DPS-SDP negotiations team on the table to reach a consensus on the new Montenegrin Constitution. The agreement was that the official language will be called Montenegrin, with both Latin and Cyrillic as official; Serbian, Bosnian, Albanian, and Croatian were recognized. Montenegro will be the state of the Montenegrin people, while Serbs, Bosniaks, Albanians, and Croats will be also mentioned in the Constitution. The Church will be separate from the state, none of them mentioned. Montenegrin citizens will not be able to have dual citizenship, however those who have before the adoption of the Declaration of Independence had multiple citizenships will keep it, effectively leaving the Montenegrins in Serbia unable to hold dual citizenship.

Arrest and exile
In 2016, Svetozar Marović, then Deputy President of ruling Democratic Party of Socialists was arrested in connection to a long-running corruption case concerning his hometown of Budva. The Montenegrin prosecutor's office labeled him as "head of Budva criminal group," which he later admitted in court. He eventually fled to neighboring Serbia for alleged psychiatric treatment in Belgrade, where he currently resides. Montenegro has repeatedly requested his extradition from Serbia.

In August 2020, Marović spoke to the media for the first time, after fleeing to Belgrade, accusing the leadership of the party he founded of corruption, nepotism, partocracy and authoritarianism, also accusing President Đukanović of rigging the corruption process against him and members of his family.

He supported Bishop Amfilohije Radović and the 2019–2020 clerical protests in Montenegro, as well endorsing opposition parties at 2020 parliamentary election which resulted in victory for opposition parties.

title: Svetozar Marović


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Iced Earth

Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band currently composed of only Jon Schaffer, formed in Tampa, Florida and based in Columbus, Indiana. They were formed in 1984 under the name the Rose, then Purgatory, by guitarist, main songwriter and bandleader Schaffer and original drummer Greg Seymour. Iced Earth released their debut album in 1990 and have since released twelve studio albums, four EPs, three compilations, three box sets, three live albums and eleven music videos. After releasing the demo EP Enter the Realm (1989) and signing to Century Media Records, the band released two full-length studio albums – Iced Earth (1990) and Night of the Stormrider (1991) – before taking a two-year hiatus from 1992 to 1994, after which the band returned with new lead vocalist Matt Barlow. Iced Earth went on to release four studio albums with him in over half a decade: Burnt Offerings (1995), The Dark Saga (1996), Something Wicked This Way Comes (1998) and Horror Show (2001).

After Horror Show, Barlow quit the band and joined the police force, while Iced Earth continued on with Tim "Ripper" Owens, formerly of Judas Priest, on vocals. With Owens, the band released two studio albums (2004's The Glorious Burden and 2007's Framing Armageddon). In late 2007, Barlow rejoined the band, and they recorded one more album with him: The Crucible of Man (2008). In 2011, Barlow once again left Iced Earth, and was replaced by Into Eternity frontman Stu Block. Dystopia, Block's first album with the group, was released that October; the album received a positive response, with some critics calling it one of Iced Earth's best albums. The group recorded two more albums with Block: Plagues of Babylon (2014) and Incorruptible (2017).

Iced Earth has had numerous lineup changes; as of 2021, there had been over thirty musicians in and out of the band since its formation, with Schaffer as the sole constant member. Following Schaffer's January 2021 arrest by the FBI for his involvement in the 2021 United States Capitol attack, the rest of the lineup departed. Schaffer is in FBI custody on felony charges and has resulted in the band being dropped from their longtime label Century Media.

Formation and early years (1984–1989)
The central figure of Iced Earth is, and has been, guitarist Jon Schaffer, who formed the band on January 20, 1985, in Tampa, Florida. Schaffer's original vision for the band started under the moniker "The Rose" in 1984.

The group was very short-lived, after which Schaffer formed a band called Purgatory, which would eventually change its name to Iced Earth. Line-up changes were common within the band, with Schaffer staying as the only constant member. The group recorded a demo in 1985, titled Psychotic Dreams. In 1988, Purgatory changed its name to Iced Earth. According to Schaffer, a friend of his, who died in a motorcycle accident prior to Schaffer moving to Florida was responsible for the name. In 1989, Iced Earth recorded another demo called Enter the Realm, with the lineup of Gene Adam on vocals, Randall Shawver on lead guitar, Dave Abell on bass, Greg Seymour on drums and Schaffer on rhythm guitar and vocals. All of the songs on Enter the Realm would later appear on the band's debut album, with the exception of "Nightmares" and the title track.

Self-titled debut album and Night of the Stormrider (1990–1993)
After getting signed to Century Media Records, the band, now with Mike McGill on drums, started work on their debut album. Recorded at Morrisound Recording, with Tom Morris and Schaffer as producers, Iced Earth was released in November 1990 in Europe and on February 25, 1991, in the US. Following the album's release, Iced Earth toured across Europe with Blind Guardian.

Following their self-titled debut, Iced Earth quickly began work on their second album. Prior to the recording process, singer Gene Adam was let go from the band after he refused to take singing lessons. Adam was subsequently replaced by John Greely, as was drummer McGill by Richey Secchiari. The album, entitled Night of the Stormrider, was again recorded at Morrisound Recording, with Schaffer and Morris as producers. The album was released on November 11, 1991, in Europe, but in the US, the album's release was delayed until April 1992, so it wouldn't compete with the group's debut album. Following Night of the Stormrider's release, Iced Earth again toured Europe with Blind Guardian.

Burnt Offerings and The Dark Saga (1994–1997)
Following the supporting tour for Night of the Stormrider, Iced Earth entered a two-year hiatus from 1992 to 1994. During this downtime, the band was faced with issues that almost resulted in them breaking up, but eventually Iced Earth resurfaced with Burnt Offerings. Heralded as Iced Earth's heaviest album, Burnt Offerings was released on April 14, 1995, and was the band's first album to feature drummer Rodney Beasley and vocalist Matthew Barlow.

In January 1996, Iced Earth began recording their fourth studio album, this time with Tom Morris' brother Jim Morris acting as co-producer, along with Schaffer. The album was also the first to feature drummer Mark Prator, and the last to feature longtime bassist Dave Abell, who left the group after finishing recording. Although Abell was credited for playing on the album, bassist Keith Menser appears on the back cover, because Century Media demanded the touring lineup to appear on the cover. Menser was fired after he didn't learn any of the band's songs for the tour, so he was soon replaced by James MacDonough. Mark Prator was also let go from the band, and was subsequently replaced by Brent Smedley. Released on May 23, 1996, The Dark Saga was a concept album based on the comic book character Spawn. Musically the album was much more melodic and simplified compared to previous Iced Earth albums. For the supporting tour, Iced Earth was joined by Nevermore.

On April 21, 1997, Iced Earth released their first compilation album: Days of Purgatory. The album featured songs from their first two albums, as well as the Enter the Realm demo, resung by Matt Barlow, with new drums and bass on some tracks as well. The album also featured a few songs from Burnt Offerings, remixed and remastered.

Something Wicked This Way Comes and Alive in Athens (1998–1999)
In March 1998, work began on the band's fifth studio album, with Jim Morris returning as the producer. Prior to the recording process, long-time guitarist Randall Shawver left the group. Guitarist Larry Tarnowski handled lead guitar duties on the album, but wasn't credited as a full-time member of the band, but as a session musician. Brent Smedley was also unable to play on the album for personal reasons and was temporarily replaced by Mark Prator, whom Smedley had originally replaced in 1996. Released on June 17, 1998, Something Wicked This Way Comes was notable for featuring the debut of Schaffer's Something Wicked Saga, which he would expand upon on future albums. While on the supporting tour for Something Wicked This Way Comes (with Brent Smedley back on drums), the band recorded their first live album in Athens, Greece on January 23 and 24, 1999. Entitled Alive in Athens, the three CD set was recorded in front of a sold-out audience (both nights) at the Rodon Club. The album was released on July 19, 1999.

Also in 1999, the band released The Melancholy E.P.. Originally conceived as a radio-only single, the EP contained three previously released songs ("Melancholy (Holy Martyr)", "Watching Over Me" and "I Died for You"), as well as two new ones (cover versions of Bad Company's "Shooting Star" and Black Sabbath's "Electric Funeral"). However, Century Media Records did not end-up releasing the EP, so it was made available for fans as a limited 1500-copy special release.

Horror Show and The Glorious Burden (2000–2004)
In 2000, work began on Iced Earth's sixth studio album. Entitled Horror Show, the album contained songs based on horror films and literature, such as Dracula, The Phantom of the Opera and the Wolf Man. Released on June 26, 2001, the album was the band's first to feature drummer Richard Christy, and the third with guitarist Larry Tarnowski (now a full-time member). Originally Steve di Giorgio played bass on the album, but left the group after the recording process. According to Schaffer, Di Giorgio was required and agreed to go on tour, but left due to "prior commitments". He was replaced by James MacDonough. Horror Show was also the first Iced Earth album to be partially recorded at Schaffer's home studio "Schaffer Sound".

On November 26, 2001 (March 5, 2002, in America) the band released the boxset Dark Genesis, which featured the band's first three albums plus the Enter the Realm -demo, remastered and remixed with new cover art. The set also featured a new album, entitled Tribute to the Gods. It was Iced Earth's seventh studio album, featuring songs from such bands as Iron Maiden, Kiss and Blue Öyster Cult.

After the events of 9/11, Matt Barlow came to the conclusion that he wanted to start contributing to the "real world". Barlow approached Schaffer with this in late 2002, but Schaffer convinced Barlow to stay with the band. When Iced Earth began recording their next studio album, Schaffer realized that Barlow's vocals were not what he desired; he felt that they lacked passion and quality, so he decided to let Barlow go after all. Barlow became a police officer in the Georgetown Police Dept. in Georgetown, Delaware.

After Barlow's departure, Iced Earth continued work on their next album, and eventually Schaffer got Tim "Ripper" Owens, from Judas Priest, to sing on the record as a favor. Owens, who was still in Judas Priest at the time, was originally supposed to be credited as a guest musician, but after singer Rob Halford rejoined Judas Priest, Owens joined Iced Earth full-time. Prior to the recording process, Tarnowski was let go from the band, so the lead guitar parts on the album were played by producer Jim Morris and session guitarist Ralph Santolla.

Prior to the album's release, Iced Earth released The Reckoning. The single contained four songs off the new album, that the band felt were most likely to get radio airplay. The Glorious Burden was released on January 12, 2004, in Europe and on January 13, in the United States. Much like how Horror Show was based on horror films and literature, The Glorious Burden was inspired by historical events. It was also the band's first album with their new record company SPV. Following the supporting tour, James MacDonough left Iced Earth to join Megadeth.

Framing Armageddon and The Crucible of Man (2005–2010)
After The Glorious Burden, work began on the group's next album, which would be an expanded concept album on the "Something Wicked" storyline from Something Wicked This Way Comes. Before starting work on the album, Iced Earth was faced with multiple lineup changes. In July 2006, Ernie Carletti was chosen as the group's new lead guitar player, but after being faced with rape and kidnapping charges, he was replaced by Tim Mills. Incidentally, Mills was also forced to leave Iced Earth in order to concentrate on his own business, "Bare Knuckle Pickups". In October 2006, Brent Smedley rejoined Iced Earth again, replacing Richard Christy on the drums. Because the band were left without a bassist and lead guitar player, Schaffer ended up performing most of the lead guitar and bass parts on the album (although some tracks featured playing from producer Jim Morris, guitarist Troy Seele and bassist Dennis Hayes) In May 2007, Seele was announced as a permanent member of the band, as was Dennis Hayes two months earlier.

Before releasing the full-length album, Iced Earth released the EP Overture of the Wicked, which featured re-recorded versions of the original "Something Wicked Trilogy" as well as a brand new track, entitled "Ten Thousand Strong". Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1 was released on September 7, 2007, in Germany, September 10, in the rest of Europe, and on September 11, in the United States.

In December 2007, it was announced that Barlow would be rejoining Iced Earth after five years. Following his return, work continued on Iced Earth's next album, originally titled Revelation Abomination: Something Wicked Part 2. Majority of the album's music had been recorded at the same time as Framing Armageddon, and originally Schaffer had planned to finish the album after the end of 2007. However work on the album had to be pushed back, due to Barlow's prior commitments to his other band, Pyramaze. In early 2008, it was announced that Dennis Hayes had been replaced by bassist Freddie Vidales.

Before releasing their next full-length album, Iced Earth released the single I Walk Among You which contained a new song from the forthcoming album, as well as two song from Framing Armageddon, resung by Barlow. After being retitled The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2, Iced Earth's tenth studio album was released in September 2008. After The Crucible of Man, the band released Box of the Wicked, in early 2010. The boxset contained Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1, The Crucible Of Man: Something Wicked Part 2, the Overture of the Wicked EP and the I Walk Among You single, as well as a bonus CD, containing one song from Framing Armageddon, now with Barlow on lead vocals, as well as three previously unreleased live tracks from the Graspop Metal Meeting festival in 2008. The boxset also included a poster and a booklet. Also in early 2010, Iced Earth signed a new contract with their former record company, Century Media Records.

Dystopia (2011–2012)
In March 2011, Barlow issued a statement on Iced Earth's official website, stating that he was retiring from the band due to family commitments, among other things. Barlow still took part in the band's 2011 summer tour, and played his final show with Iced Earth on August 6, 2011, at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany. Shortly after announcing Barlow's departure, Iced Earth revealed that Into Eternity frontman Stu Block had been chosen as the band's new lead vocalist. With Block now on board, Iced Earth began recording their next studio album in May 2011.

On June 27, 2011, the band released the DVD Festivals of the Wicked, which featured shows from Metal Camp Open Air (2008), the Rock Hard Festival (2008) and Wacken Open Air (2007). On September 7, 2011, Iced Earth released a re-recorded version of the song "Dante's Inferno", from the album Burnt Offerings. The band's new album Dystopia was released on October 17, 2011, in Europe and October 18 in the United States. While not a concept album, many of the album's songs were inspired by dystopian themes and films such as V for Vendetta, Dark City and Equilibrium. Two songs ("Dystopia" and "Tragedy and Triumph") also featured the return of the "Something Wicked" storyline. After the Dystopia's release, Iced Earth kicked off the Dystopia World Tour, which was heralded as "the most extensive world tour Iced Earth has ever undertaken" and that it would take the band "to countries it has never previously played".

On April 10, 2012, it was announced that Freddie Vidales had left Iced Earth. He was subsequently replaced by Luke Appleton from Fury UK. On August 19, 2012, Iced Earth recorded a new live CD/DVD in Cyprus, entitled Live in Ancient Kourion.

Plagues of Babylon and Incorruptible (2013–2020)
Iced Earth began writing new material for their twelfth studio album in early 2013. Drummer Smedley left the band in May 2013 for personal reasons. Raphael Saini therefore played drums on the album, titled Plagues of Babylon, as well as filling in on tour until Jon Dette took over on drums in November 2013. The album was released in January 2014, reaching position #5 on the German Media Control Charts, which is band's highest chart position in their entire career.

On April 7, 2015, following a period of inactivity as a result of Schaffer requiring cervical fusion surgery, the band announced that Iced Earth would begin writing for their 13th studio album. The announcement also revealed that drummer Smedley had rejoined the band, replacing Dette, and that the new album was to be tentatively titled The Judas Goat, with an expected release date and subsequent touring cycle in early 2016. In August 2016 lead guitarist Troy Seele announced his departure from the band citing family reasons. He was replaced on September 25, 2016, by Jake Dreyer.

On December 6, 2016, Schaffer spoke in an interview with Fernando Bonenfant from Metal Wani and announced that the new album would be called Incorruptible, originally due for release in May 2017. On March 13, 2017, the band confirmed that they had completed work on the album for a mid-June release. On April 6, the artwork was revealed with the album being set for a June 16 release. The release of the album also fulfilled the band's second deal with Century Media Records.

On October 26, 2018, it was revealed that Jon Schaffer had recruited previous Iced Earth members Gene Adam (vocals) and Bill Owen (lead guitar); along with guests Jim Morris (lead guitar), Ruben Drake (bass guitar), and Mark Prator (drums); to form Jon Schaffer's Purgatory, taking the name from the precursor to Iced Earth. The band had re-recorded old pre-Iced Earth demos, including (in their original form) tracks that were later re-recorded for Iced Earth releases. This EP, titled Purgatory, was released in December 2018.

Iced Earth's 1989 demo Enter the Realm was released on CD and vinyl for the first time on April 12, 2019, exactly 30 years after its original release.

In a Facebook Live chat that took place on April 14, 2020, Schaffer confirmed that, after "a little bit of time off", Iced Earth would start working on their thirteenth studio album for a spring 2021 release. He stated: "Everything is a little bit up in the air right now. Even working on a new Iced Earth album is gonna be challenging until we see how all this plays out, because it's an international band. Stu's in Canada and Luke is in the U.K., so that makes it even more difficult for travel…the biggest issue now is logistics of actually getting together to do it, because we're an international band. If we lived in the same town or even in the same country, it would make things a lot easier. But we will [get around to making a new album], and there will be a time for that, no doubt. To say when that's gonna be, my plan was to focus on it in the back half of this year and have a release in spring of 2021. But the world's flipped upside down and has gotten pretty weird lately."

Hiatus since Schaffer's arrest (2021–present)
In early January 2021, Schaffer appeared on the Most Wanted section of the FBI after being photographed taking part of the 2021 United States Capitol attack. On January 9, Block posted a message via his personal Instagram account on behalf of the rest of the band members regarding Schaffer's situation:

"'Some of you have been concerned by our silence, which we understand. We needed some time to properly process the information and find out some facts before we made a statement. First and foremost we absolutely DO NOT condone nor do we support riots or the acts of violence that the rioters were involved in on January 6th at the US Capitol building. We hope that all those involved that day are brought to justice to be investigated and answer for their actions.'" On January 17, it was announced that Schaffer was in FBI custody, on six felony charges, after turning himself in to authorities. Iced Earth and Demons & Wizards were both later dropped from Century Media due to these events. On February 15, 2021, vocalist Stu Block and bassist Luke Appleton both announced their resignation from the band as a result of the event. On the same day, Jake Dreyer also announced his departure, stating that he would be focusing on his band Witherfall. Only Schaffer remains.

Schaffer entered a guilty plea of unlawfully entering Congress and obstructing an official proceeding, on April 16, 2021, and was granted sponsorship for United States Federal Witness Protection Program.

A compilation album A Narrative Soundscape was released in January 2022 as a companion of Schaffer's lyrics anthology Wicked Words and Epic Tales. It features 15 songs of the band in "stripped" acoustic-ambient versions and with spoken lyrics.

Musical style and lyrical themes
Iced Earth has been described as power metal, heavy metal, and thrash metal. When asked about the band's musical style, Schaffer, Iced Earth's chief songwriter, said: "We're a metal band. That's what we are. We have every dynamic from Pink Floyd to Slayer and everything in between." In a 2019 interview with Guitar World, he said, "I think that a lot of power-metal stuff is kind of cheesy, actually. This is just something that I'm not into."

Iced Earth's music has evolved and shifted several times during the band's history. On the group's 1990 self-titled debut album, the band's sound was characterized by time changes, acoustic passages and Iron Maiden-type galloping rhythms. Many of these elements carried over to the follow-up album Night of the Stormrider, which added keyboards and piano, as well as some choral arrangements. 1995's Burnt Offerings has been heralded as Iced Earth's heaviest album, and included the band's longest song to date, "Dante's Inferno". As a counter measure to Burnt Offerings, 1996's The Dark Saga featured a much more subdued sound compared to previous releases. The focus was less on technical musicianship, but on emotion and melody. Something Wicked This Way Comes combined elements found on previous albums with brand new ideas. The "Something Wicked Trilogy", which closes the album, took many cues from the Night of the Stormrider album. Iced Earth continued to expand their sound throughout the 2000s, like adding a full-piece orchestra to the song "Gettysburg" from 2004's The Glorious Burden.

Common lyrical themes in Iced Earth's music have been religion, history, fantasy, literature,    and films. The band has also released several concept albums, the first being 1991's Night of the Stormrider. The second, 1996's The Dark Saga, was based on the Todd McFarlane comic book character Spawn. 1998's Something Wicked This Way Comes introduced the Something Wicked Saga, which was later expanded upon on 2007's Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1, and 2008's The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2. Iced Earth have also released several albums written around a theme. 2001's Horror Show was largely based on horror literature and films, 2004's The Glorious Burden was inspired by history and war, while 2011's Dystopia centered around dystopian themes in literature and film.

Band members
Current members
 * Jon Schaffer – rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, mandolin (1984–present)

Discography

 * Iced Earth (1990)
 * Night of the Stormrider (1991)
 * Burnt Offerings (1995)
 * The Dark Saga (1996)
 * Something Wicked This Way Comes (1998)
 * Horror Show (2001)
 * The Glorious Burden (2004)
 * Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1 (2007)
 * The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2 (2008)
 * Dystopia (2011)
 * Plagues of Babylon (2014)
 * Incorruptible (2017)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Iced Earth


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Dmitri Afanasenkov

Dmitri Anatolyevich Afanasenkov (Дмитрий Анатольевич Афанасенков; born May 12, 1980) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Philadelphia Flyers.

Playing career
Afanasenkov began his North American ice hockey career after being drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft in the third round, 72nd overall. He started playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for the Moncton Wildcats in his first season, and then for the Sherbrooke Castors in the 1999–2000 and 2000–01 seasons.

Following the 2000–01 season, he was signed by the Lightning. Until the 2003–04 NHL season, he would split his time between the Lightning and their farm team. He would play for one IHL team (the Detroit Vipers) and two AHL teams (the Grand Rapids Griffins and Springfield Falcons).

During the 2003–04 NHL season, his rookie season, he scored six goals and ten assists during the regular season and three points during the Lightning's post season run to the 2004 Stanley Cup.

Following the lockout, he returned to the Lightning, but with the presence of Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, and Brad Richards, he had limited playing time. He did not put up the numbers he could, and so, on December 30, 2006, the Lightning waived him and he was picked up by the Philadelphia Flyers. While in Philadelphia, Afanasenkov picked up the nickname "The Shark", scoring 15 points (8 goals, 7 assists) in 41 games with the Flyers. A pending restricted free agent, he was not tendered a qualifying offer and became an unrestricted free agent. He signed with Dynamo Moscow on August 1, 2007 and signed on 26 September 2009 for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

title: Dmitri Afanasenkov


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Sirenidae

Sirenidae, the sirens, are a family of neotenic aquatic salamanders. Family members have very small fore limbs and lack hind limbs altogether. In one species, the skeleton in their fore limbs is made of only cartilage. In contrast to most other salamanders, they have external gills bunched together on the neck in both larval and adult states. Sirens are found only in the Southeastern United States and northern Mexico.

Although they are primarily carnivorous, they are the only salamanders observed eating plant material.

Description
Sirens are quite distinct from other salamanders, and in some classifications they form their own suborder, Sirenoidea, or as a completely distinct order (Meantes or Trachystomata). Genetic analysis variously places them as the sister to other Salamandroidea or as sister to all other salamanders. Many of their unique characteristics seem to be partly primitive and partly derivative.

Sirens are generally eel-like in form, with two tiny, but otherwise fully developed, fore limbs. They range from 25 - 95 cm in length. They are neotenic, although the larval gills are small and functionless at first, and only adults have fully developed (but inefficient) gills. They are obligate air-breathers with well developed lungs. Proving they likely evolved from a terrestrial ancestor with an aquatic larval stage. Like amphiumas, they are able to cross land on rainy nights.

These amphibians are omnivorous, feeding mainly on worms, small snails, shrimps, and filamentous algae. They are notable among salamanders (and most amphibians, aside from a few frog species) due to their semi-herbivorous habits. Their jaws possess sharp-edged keratinised and toothless ridges, like many anuran tadpoles, but the coronoid bone in the lower jaw and the vomer and palatine bone in the upper jaw have patches of monocuspid and unbladed teeth arranged in polystichous patterns.

If the conditions of a water source are unsuitable, a larva will shrink its gills to mere stumps, and these may not function at all. They are also able to burrow into mud of drying ponds and encase themselves with a cocoon of mucus to survive periods of drought. During such periods, they breathe with their small but functional lungs.

Unlike other salamanders, an interventricular septum is present in the heart. At least two of the species can produce vocalizations.

The structure of sirens' reproductive systems suggests they employ external fertilization. This has finally been confirmed in captive breeding experiments, showcasing that males also engage in parental care, building nests for their offspring. Parental care among sirens is paternal due to external fertilization. In S. intermedia males circle around females and may rub or bite her flank region. Both male and female will go on their backs and turn. It is assumed here where the female spawns and the male fertilizes her eggs. After the courtship is over, the female leaves and the male guards the eggs. Males could potentially guard more than one brood, but they are known to bite females who enter a nesting site. Paternal care has also been observed in Cryptobranchoidea, the other suborder with external fertilization. This is critical to phylogeny, as Salamandroidea, the third suborder, use internal fertilization which may be pair with maternal care, meaning that sirens are one of the oldest groups of salamanders.

The combined biomass of Siren intermedia species in a Texas pond exceeded the total biomass of the pond's seven species of fish.

Taxonomy
The siren family (Sirenidae) is subdivided into five genera, three extinct, and two extant with two and three extant species, respectively:
 * Genus †Habrosaurus Gilmore 1928
 * †H. dilatus Gilmore 1928
 * †H. prodilatus Gardner 2003
 * Genus †Kababisha Evans et al. 1996
 * †K. humarensis Evans et al. 1996
 * †K. sudanensis Evans et al. 1996
 * Genus †Noterpeton Rage et al. 1993
 * †Noterpeton bolivianum Rage et al. 1993
 * Genus Pseudobranchus Gray 1825 dwarf sirens
 * †P. robustus Goin and Auffenberg 1955
 * †P. vetustus
 * P. axanthus Netting & Goin 1942 southern dwarf siren
 * P. striatus LeConte 1824 northern dwarf siren
 * Genus Siren Österdam 1766 sirens
 * †S. dunni Goin and Auffenberg 1957
 * †S. hesterna
 * †S. miotexana
 * †S. simpsoni
 * S. intermedia Barnes 1826 lesser siren
 * S. lacertina Linnaeus, 1766 greater siren
 * S. nettingi Goin, 1942 western siren
 * S. reticulata Graham, Kline, Steen & Kelehear, 2018 reticulated siren
 * S. sphagnicola Fedler, Enge, & Moler, 2023 seepage siren

title: Sirenidae


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Nicole Richie

Nicole Camille Richie (Escovedo; born September 21, 1981) is an American television personality, fashion designer, and actress. She came to prominence after appearing in the reality television series The Simple Life (2003–2007), in which she starred alongside her childhood friend and fellow socialite Paris Hilton. Richie's personal life attracted media attention during the series' five-year run and thereafter.

Following the conclusion of The Simple Life, Richie continued her career in television, appearing as one of the three judges on the reality competition series Fashion Star (2012–2013). She later starred in the unscripted comedy series Candidly Nicole (2014–2015), which ran for two seasons. From 2017 to 2018, Richie starred in her first series regular acting role as Portia Scott-Griffith in the sitcom Great News. In 2020, she became a judge on the reality competition series Making the Cut. In fashion, she is the founder of the lifestyle brand House of Harlow. Richie has also published two novels.

Early life, family and education
Nicole Camille Escovedo was born in Berkeley, California. She is of English, Mexican, and Creole African-American descent. Her biological father, Peter Michael Escovedo, is the brother of musician Sheila E. and nephew of guitarist Alejandro Escovedo, and her biological mother is Karen Moss. When she was three years old, her biological parents decided to leave her under the care of Lionel Richie and his first wife Brenda Harvey Richie's family because they could not afford to provide for her. Lionel and Brenda Harvey Richie became her guardians. His 1986 hit song "Ballerina Girl" was written about Nicole.

Brenda Harvey and Lionel Richie legally adopted Nicole when she was nine years old. When Lionel and Brenda went through a bitter public split, they were indulgent to the young Nicole. "Their way of making me happy was to say, 'yes,' to everything I wanted, but I don't think a little girl should have that much freedom," said Richie in a 2006 interview with Vanity Fair. Following the divorce, Lionel remarried and had two more children: Miles (b. 1994) and Sofia (b. 1998). Richie's godmother is Nancy Davis, daughter of Marvin Davis and mother of Brandon Davis. Richie regularly interacted with musicians her father knew, including Michael Jackson (who was her godfather), Prince and Kenny Rogers. Quincy Jones said in a People magazine interview that he has "known Nicole Richie since she was a baby. She's a very smart girl".

Richie graduated from Montclair College Preparatory School in 1999, then attended the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, alongside Kourtney Kardashian and Luke Walton, where she studied Arts and Media. She did not have a definitive study plan in Arizona, dropped out after two years, and returned to California.

Television
In 2003, Richie and her best friend, Paris Hilton, starred in the reality series The Simple Life, in which they lived for a month with a family in the rural community of Altus, Arkansas. The series premiere debuted on Fox on December 2, 2003, to 13 million viewers, increasing Fox's reach among viewers 18–49. The series continued for a second and third season.

Fox subsequently canceled the show after a dispute between Hilton and Richie, but it was aired by E! Entertainment Television for its fourth season, drawing nearly one million viewers and was followed by a relatively unsuccessful fifth season. Complications arose during production of the fifth season, with both Richie and Hilton facing major charges for DUI, and at risk of serving jail time. Hilton was sentenced to 23 days in jail, though this was after production of the season had finished. Richie accepted a plea agreement and was sentenced to four days in jail, again after production had wrapped. Despite talks of a sixth season, the series finished its run at the end of the moderately unsuccessful fifth season.

In 2005, Richie made her acting debut in the comedy film Kids in America. Richie has guest starred in television series including Eve, Six Feet Under, American Dreams, 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter, and Chuck. Richie appeared as a guest judge during the premiere episode of the seventh season of the reality competition series Project Runway. From 2012 to 2013, she judged the reality competition series Fashion Star. From 2014 to 2015, Richie starred in the unscripted comedy series Candidly Nicole. It is loosely based on Richie's posts on Twitter.

In 2016, Richie was cast as Portia Scott-Griffith, a news anchor, in the sitcom Great News, created by Tracey Wigfield and produced by Wigfield and Tina Fey. The acting role marked Richie's first as a regular on a television series. When speaking about Richie's casting, Fey stated that she was "a really funny person" with "an instant likability" and "good timing without really pushing it." The series premiered on NBC in April 2017. Sonia Saraiya of Variety called Richie's performance "a turn that reveals her substantial comedic talents", while The Washington Post's Emily Yahr highlighted how she "artfully delivers her many one-liners". The series concluded in 2018 after two seasons.

In 2020, she created, executive produced, and starred in digital platform Quibi's series Nikki Fre$h, which chronicles the career of Richie's rapper alter ego of the same name. That same year, she appeared as a judge in the reality competition series Making the Cut.

Writing
In 2005, Richie wrote a semi-autobiographical novel, The Truth About Diamonds, which was released by Bharell Jackson Publishing. The novel is loosely based on her life but is mostly fictional. It chronicles the life of a famous singer's adopted daughter named Chloe Parker, who makes her way through all the popular nightclubs and parties in Hollywood while battling a drug addiction. In early January 2006, The Truth About Diamonds peaked at number No. 32 in Hardcover Fiction on The New York Times Best-Seller List.

Richie's second novel, Priceless, was released on September 28, 2010. It tells the story of a girl who loses everything and then learns about what really matters in life.

Fashion
Richie has been featured in several fashion blogs and magazines such as Harper's Bazaar, Seventeen, Lucky, Marie Claire, Elle, InStyle, Paper, Company, Nylon, Tatler, Flare, and Teen Vogue. She has also modeled for Australia's Vogue and Elle; US' People, Stuff, Blender and Hollywood Reporter; Mexico's Marie Claire and UK's Glamour. Richie has been the face of Bongo Jeans and Jimmy Choo advertising campaigns. In April 2007, Richie announced plans to start a jewelry, accessories, and sunglasses line along with a perfume and style book. In October 2008, she debuted a jewelry line, named House of Harlow. The line became available at Kitson's online boutique. In spring 2010, the line was extended to include apparel and shoes. House of Harlow later became a lifestyle brand including eyewear, home fragrance, and accessories.

In 2009, Richie joined maternity store A Pea in the Pod to create the new collection maternity clothes. The line was titled "Nicole" which had pieces that she would wear as an expectant mother. In February 2010, Richie expanded her fashion business with a women's line called Winter Kate, her daughter's two middle names. The collection was inspired by timeless prints and shapes, beautiful paisley and florals.

In 2010, Richie won "Entrepreneur of the Year" for her House of Harlow brand at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards. House of Harlow was also nominated in the category "Celebrity Fashion Line" at the 2010 Teen Choice Awards. In July 2011, the brand unveiled a 14-piece handbag collection, which became available at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Shopbop. In May 2012, it was reported both Ritchie's lines, House of Harlow 1960 and Winter Kate reached estimated sales of $55 million combined while Richie only receives 5% of revenues, according to the Hollywood Reporter. She launched a collection for Macy's Impulse line in September 2012, which was sold in 100 Macy's stores as well as online. Her first fragrance, Nicole by Nicole Richie, was also launched in September 2012. Her second fragrance, No Rules by Nicole Richie was launched in March 2014.

In 2017, Richie became Urban Decay's brand ambassador, representing their "Troublemaker" mascara. House of Harlow partnered with Urban Decay for a limited-edition collection in April 2018. The line was exclusively sold at Revolve's official website.

Music
Richie made her musical debut in February 2005 with a live appearance on ABC's The View playing the piano. In 2004, she auditioned for the role of Maureen in the popular Broadway hit Rent but did not get the part. In February 2010, Richie was featured on the charity single "We Are the World 25 for Haiti". In September 2013, Richie made a cameo appearance in Christina Aguilera's music video for the song "Let There Be Love".

Richie stated in April 2020 that she would release a comedy rap album under the moniker Nikki Fre$h; confirmed songs for the album include "Drip Drip", "The Gem Song", and "Bee's Tea". The album, titled Unearthed, was released on August 28.

Philanthropy
In November 2007, Richie and her husband Joel Madden created The Richie Madden Children's Foundation in support of disadvantaged young mothers and children. She has been involved with the Red Cross, UNICEF, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, March of Dimes, Playing for Change, Small Steps Project, and Baby2Baby. Richie is a board member of Baby2Baby.

In 2007, Richie and Madden donated 100 baby gifts to expectant mothers at Los Angeles Free Clinic, through The Richie Madden Children's Foundation. In May 2008, Richie and Madden shot a UNICEF public-service announcement to generate aid for the cyclone-devastated Myanmar. Richie and Madden have also written blogs on the UNICEF website and encouraged people to help children in need. Richie, Joel and Benji Madden along with UNICEF held a fundraiser for the Tap Project in March 2009. They sold 143 water pumps to bring water directly to the villages and raised $100,000. Esprit donated 10% of all the sales on April 2, 2009, at their newly opened 3rd Street Promenade store to The Richie-Madden Children's Foundation. The Richie-Madden Foundation specially designed "Cup with a Cause" for 7-Eleven. It was a part of their charity-focused coffee campaign in February 2010. During 2010 the Foundation worked together with Beyond Shelter, a non-profit organization devoted to providing shelter for homeless families in Los Angeles.

Richie has been a board member of the Environmental Media Association for several years and took part in their awareness program in May 2009. Each member "adopted" a school to raise awareness for the program and help students with environmental education. She also participated in a charity hand-me-downs auction that started on the website handmedowns.com. The proceeds went directly to The Richie Madden Children's Foundation to help bring more opportunities to children in the US and abroad.

In November 2011, Richie hosted Baby2Baby's charity event to support families in need during holiday season. She was a guest speaker at WE Charity's WE Day California event in 2018.

Personal life
In April 2005, reports surfaced that Richie and longtime friend Paris Hilton were no longer speaking to each other. Hilton commented: "It's no big secret that Nicole and I are no longer friends. Nicole knows what she did, and that's all I'm ever going to say about it". Neither Richie nor Hilton spoke publicly about the cause of the split. They eventually reconciled in October 2006.

Richie was briefly engaged to DJ Adam Goldstein, whom she dated from 2004 to 2006.

In December 2006, she began dating singer Joel Madden of the rock group Good Charlotte. They have two children, a daughter born in January 2008 and a son born in September 2009. In February 2008, the first photos of their daughter were sold to People magazine for $1 million. The couple confirmed their engagement in February 2010, and married on December 11, 2010. They reside in Los Angeles, California.

Health
In early 2006, Richie was notably thinner compared to her previous appearance in the first two seasons of The Simple Life. In May, she told Vanity Fair, "I know I'm too thin right now, so I wouldn't want any young girl looking at me and saying, 'That's what I want to look like.' She also said, "I started seeing a nutritionist and a doctor. I was scared that it could be something more serious." During this time, it was reported that she had also sought the help of a psychiatrist and a personal trainer. Later that year, in September, Richie stated "I am not anorexic. I am not bulimic. I do not have an eating disorder." On October 27, 2006, it was announced that Richie was seeking treatment for "an inability to put on weight", though it was not for an eating disorder.

In March 2007, Richie was taken to the hospital for dehydration. On March 21, her representatives announced she suffered from hypoglycemia.

Legal issues
In October 2002, Richie was arrested following a brawl in a New York City nightclub. The charges were dropped. In February 2003, she checked herself into a rehabilitation center following her arrest in Malibu, California for driving with a revoked license and possession of heroin. In August, she was sentenced to three years' probation.

On December 11, 2006, Richie was arrested by the California Highway Patrol after she failed a field sobriety test. She was charged with driving under the influence on State Route 134 in the Burbank/Glendale, California area. Several motorists had reported a black Mercedes-Benz G-Class entering the freeway on the exit ramp and traveling in the opposite traffic direction. She admitted to using marijuana and the narcotic Vicodin before the incident. On July 27, 2007, Richie was sentenced to four days in jail at the Century Regional Detention Center in Lynwood, California. However, she only served about 82 minutes of the sentence and was released at 16:37 PDT on August 23, 2007. A spokeswoman for the sheriff's department told People magazine that Richie "was released early due to overcrowding in the jail system." Richie enrolled in an 18-month anti-drinking driver education program the following month, according to papers filed with the Superior Court of California.

In June 2010, Richie's probation was extended one year to March 2011 because she missed her anti-drunk driving class. However, Richie's probation was terminated early in December 2010, after her lawyer presented details to the judge that Richie had completed all terms of her probation.

Discography

 * Unearthed (2020)

Singles

 * "Stunnah" (2013)

title: Nicole Richie


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Wikipedia:Historical archive/Refreshing brilliant prose

Beginning mid-June of 2003, a nomination process for Brilliant prose was implemented. Before this process existed, articles were added to Brilliant prose by individuals, and no system of debate, voting, or discussion took place.

We are now holding votes on the articles that were on the Brilliant prose page before the current process was in place. Please take the time to look the articles over, and place your votes. The articles have been broken down into the following categories:

 * Refreshing brilliant prose - People and culture
 * Refreshing brilliant prose - History and religion
 * Refreshing brilliant prose - Others
 * Refreshing brilliant prose - Science


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Diaochan

Diaochan was one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. Although based on a minor historical personage, she is mostly a fictional character. She is best known for her role in the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which romanticises the events in the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. In the novel, she has a romance with the warrior Lü Bu and causes him to betray and kill his foster father, the tyrannical warlord Dong Zhuo. She was praised in tales as a woman of unrivaled beauty who did what no other hero in China was able to accomplish: put an end to Dong Zhuo's regime of terror and the eventual end of Lǚ Bu; triggering the events that would lead to the formation of the Three Kingdoms: Cao Wei, Eastern Wu, and Shu Han.

Development
Chinese historical records indicate that Lü Bu had a secret affair with one of Dong Zhuo's Gējì and he constantly feared that Dong Zhuo would find out. This was one of the reasons why he betrayed and assassinated Dong Zhuo in May 192. However, the Geji's name was not recorded. Luo Guanzhong described Diao Chan as a Geji who was very good at dancing in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms". The name "Diaochan" first appeared in Sanguozhi Pinghua as the courtesy name of Lü Bu's wife. A later zaju Duoji (now lost) explained the name, which literally means "sable cicada", as derived from the sable tails and jade decorations in the shape of cicadas which adorned the hats of high-ranking officials in the Eastern Han dynasty.

In earlier stories, Diaochan was described as Lü Bu's wife who had been accidentally separated from Lü Bu during the political disorder and was unaware of the conspiracy against Dong Zhuo. Later stories removed this background and had her more actively participating in the scheme. Narrations about Diaochan's ultimate fate appeared in Yuan dynasty zaju. The titles of these lost works suggest Diaochan, viewed as a femme fatale, was decapitated by Guan Yu after Lü Bu's death, which was inherited by some of later Ming or Qing operas featuring Diaochan.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms

In the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Diaochan assists the official Wang Yun in a plot to persuade Lü Bu to kill his foster father, the tyrannical warlord Dong Zhuo. Wang Yun presents her to Dong Zhuo as a concubine, but also betrothes her to Lü Bu at the same time. Diaochan uses her beauty to turn Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu against each other by inciting jealousy between them.

While Dong Zhuo is out one day, Lü Bu sneaks into his bedroom in the hope of seeing Diaochan. Diaochan pretends to be very upset and attempts suicide by throwing herself into the pond, saying that she is ashamed to see Lü Bu because she had been violated by Dong Zhuo. Lü Bu is heartbroken and promises that he will not let her suffer further at the hands of Dong Zhuo. Just then, Dong Zhuo returns and sees them embracing each other. As Lü Bu flees, Dong Zhuo chases him and hurls a spear at him, but misses. On the way, Dong Zhuo meets his adviser, Li Ru, who suggests to him to let Lü Bu have Diaochan, so as to win Lü Bu's trust. Dong Zhuo goes back to Diaochan later and accuses her of betraying his love, saying that he intends to present her to Lü Bu. Diaochan replies indignantly that Lü Bu embraced her against her will and attempts suicide to "prove her love" for Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo is moved and dismisses the idea of relinquishing her.

Lü Bu is outraged and goes to Wang Yun's house to vent his frustration. Wang Yun then uses the opportunity to instigate Lü Bu to join the plot to kill Dong Zhuo. Lü Bu kills Dong Zhuo when the latter shows up at a ceremony for Emperor Xian to abdicate the throne to him; the ceremony is actually a trap set by Wang Yun and Lü Bu. After Dong Zhuo's death, Lü Bu marries Diaochan and flees Chang'an with her when he is defeated by Dong Zhuo's former followers.

In the later novel, Diaochan has only a cameo in the Battle of Xiapi, and is not mentioned again thereafter.

In folk tales
In one folktale, Diaochan is captured by Cao Cao after the Battle of Xiapi. Cao Cao presents her to Guan Yu in the hope of winning Guan Yu's loyalty. Guan Yu, however, suspects that he is being tricked when he recalls how Diaochan had betrayed Lü Bu and Dong Zhuo. He kills her to prevent her from doing further harm. In another tale, Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei all want to marry Diaochan, and they argue bitterly over the issue. Guan Yu kills her to end the dispute.

In the Yuan dynasty play Lianhuan Ji (連環計), Diaochan is said to be the daughter of Ren Ang (任昂), and her real name is Ren Hongchang (任紅昌). She is in charge of taking care of the Sable Cicada Hat (貂蟬冠), so she becomes known as "Diaochan" (literally "sable cicada"). She is introduced to Guan Yu by Zhang Fei after Lü Bu's death. Instead of accepting her as the spoils of war, Guan Yu decapitates her with his sword. This event is not mentioned in historical records or the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but is propagated through mass media such as operas and storytelling.

Diaochan's eventual fate differs in various accounts: some said that she is killed by Dong Zhuo's followers, along with Wang Yun, after Lü Bu escapes; others claim that she follows Lü Bu while he roams around with his forces. In some adaptations of the novel, Diaochan and Lü Bu were executed after Lü Bu's defeat at the Battle of Xiapi or killed herself after Cao Cao took a liking to her.

In popular culture
Diaochan appears a playable character in Koei's Dynasty Warriors, Aura Kingdom  and Warriors Orochi video game series. In the video game Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Diao Chan is the fake identity of sorceress Hong Jing. She also appears in the manga series Souten Kouro. In the card game Magic: The Gathering, there is a Legendary Creature card called "Diaochan, Artful Beauty". Similarly, Diaochan appears as an alternate skin for the rogue class in the card game Hearthstone, titled Diao Chan Valeera. She also appears as a character in Total War: Three Kingdoms. Diaochan is a playable character in the Mobile/PC Game Rise of Kingdoms.

Notable actresses who have portrayed Diaochan in films and television series include: Violet Koo in Diao Chan (1938); Lin Dai in Diao Chan (1958); Nina Li in The Beauty Diu Sim (1987); Chen Hong in Romance of the Three Kingdoms (1994); Irene Chiu in Guan Gong (1996); Chen Hao in Three Kingdoms (2010); Gulnazar in God of War, Zhao Yun (2016) and Dynasty Warriors (2019).

title: Diaochan


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Francisco Macías Nguema

Francisco Macías Nguema (born Mez-m Ngueme, later Africanised to Masie Nguema Biyogo Ñegue Ndong; 1 January 1924 – 29 September 1979), often referred to as Macías Nguema or simply Macías, was an Equatoguinean politician who served as the first president of Equatorial Guinea from the country's independence in 1968, until his overthrow in 1979. He is widely remembered as one of the most brutal dictators in history.

A member of the Fang people, Macías Nguema held numerous official positions under Spanish colonial rule before being elected the first president of the soon-to-be independent country in 1968. Early in his rule, he consolidated power by establishing an extreme cult of personality and a one-party state ruled by his United National Workers' Party (PUNT), and declaring himself president for life in 1972, which was then ratified by a referendum the following year. Due to his dictatorship's severe human rights abuses and economic mismanagement, tens of thousands of people fled the country to avoid persecution. This led to Equatorial Guinea being internationally nicknamed the "Dachau of Africa". His rule also led to significant brain drain, as intellectuals and educated classes were particular targets for his persecution. In 1979, he was overthrown in a coup d'état by his nephew Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and was subsequently tried and executed.

According to various sources, anywhere from 20,000 to 80,000 of the roughly 200,000 to 300,000 people living in the country were killed under his regime, with tens of thousands more fleeing the country. He has been compared to Pol Pot because of the violent, unpredictable, and anti-intellectual nature of his government.

Background and early life
Francisco Macías Nguema was born on 1 January 1924, as Mez-m Ngueme at Nzangayong, Spanish Guinea, to parents who had been expelled with the rest of their clan from what is today Woleu-Ntem Province, Gabon, at a time when the Spanish Colonial Guard had not yet exerted control over the jungled area. He belonged to the Esangui clan, part of the Fang, Equatorial Guinea's majority ethnic group. His family settled in Mongomo, where he grew up. Macías Nguema was the son of a witch doctor who allegedly killed his younger brother as a sacrifice.

Macías Nguema managed to survive several bouts of tuberculosis as a child, which left him with a profound fear of death for the remainder of his life. He was educated at a Catholic school through to primary level. He changed his name to Francisco Macías Nguema at this time after being baptized by Spanish Catholic missionaries, and would come to learn Spanish in addition to his native Fang. During his adolescence, he worked as a servant for some wealthy Spanish settlers, being described as helpful and obedient, which earned him ridicule and mistreatment by other non-Christianized Fang, and showed an inferiority complex with respect to the Spaniards.

Possible mental illness
Medical reports from his early career suggested that Macías Nguema was mentally unstable. Based on a report from 1968, the French foreign intelligence service SDECE argued that he suffered from mental disorders and venereal diseases whose effects on his psyche were made even worse by his regular abuse of drugs such as cannabis in the form of the edible derivative bhang, and iboga, a drink with strong hallucinogenic effects.

Several contemporaries, such as the French ambassador to Equatorial Guinea, argued that Macías Nguema was insane. Some observers have posited that Macías Nguema may have been a psychopath, a disorder potentially enabled, in part, by reported childhood psychological trauma, and that his behaviour could have been affected by other possible mental illnesses, as well as his reported periodic use of drugs. Journalist Paul Kenyon described Macías Nguema as "dangerously mentally ill".

Early career
Macías Nguema failed the civil service exam three times in the 1930s. Regardless, he eventually became a clerk in the Spanish colonial administration, after passing the exam on the fourth try with assistance and some favoritism from colonial authorities, serving as court interpreter. In the 1940s, he also worked for the Forest Service in Bata, the Río Benito Public Works Department, as a catechist in Bata, and in the Bata Public Works Service. In 1961, he first travelled to Madrid as spokesperson for a delegation which honoured Francisco Franco, Spain's dictator, on the 25th anniversary of his seizure of power. At the time, Macías Nguema generally displayed no anti-Spanish sentiment and collaborated with the authorities, preferring to work towards eventual independence within the existing system. Unlike many Equatoguinean activists at the time, he was never jailed by the Spanish.

As court interpreter, Macías Nguema eventually began taking bribes to manipulate his translations to absolve or incriminate defendants. The Spanish interpreted his important role in many trials as evidence for influence and talent for leadership, and began to rapidly promote him. He became assistant interpreter, mayor of Mongomo, minister of public works, and finally deputy president of the Governing Council within a single year in the 1960s after Spanish Guinea was transformed from a colony to a province of Spain. He also served as a member of the territorial parliament.

Even at this early point of his career, Macías Nguema already exhibited erratic tendencies. In a conference to discuss the future independence of Equatorial Guinea at Madrid, he suddenly began an "incoherent eulogy of the Nazis", claiming that Adolf Hitler had wanted to save Africans from colonialism and only got "confused", causing him to attempt to conquer Europe. At one point he declared himself a "Hitlerian-Marxist".

In 1964, Macías Nguema was named deputy prime minister of the autonomous transition government established the prior year. Around this time, Macías Nguema himself came to fear that he was mentally unstable. Before the 1968 Spanish Guinean general election, aged 44, he travelled to Madrid, where he was treated at the Ruben clinic. Despite these concerns, Macías Nguema ran for president of the soon-to-be independent country against Prime Minister Bonifacio Ondó Edú on a strongly nationalist platform in 1968.

He employed a Spanish lawyer to write his texts, providing him with a coherent agenda, and made various promises to improve his popularity. He would point at European-owned houses and ask the crowds if they wanted to own the place; when they responded positively, he stated that he would give them to the listeners if they voted for him. However, Macías Nguema was easily distracted from his speeches, and often made "chaotic public appearances". His bouts of erratic behavior were generally believed to be the sign of a "fearless" and "charming" leader.

In what has been the only free election held in the country to date, he defeated Ondó Edú in the runoff and was sworn in as president on 12 October. During his time as president-elect, he was awarded the Collar of the Order of Civil Merit. He was also made Commander of the Civil Order of Africa for his service during the colonial administration. By this point he had also distanced himself from Catholicism, becoming outwardly critical of the Church.

Early rule

After assuming power, Macías Nguema initially maintained a moderate policy and good relations with Spain, but within a year began to hold inflammatory, anti-European speeches and claimed that there were plots to overthrow him. His rival Bonifacio Ondó Edú then fled to Gabon. Relations with Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Luis Carrero Blanco had rapidly deteriorated. The coffers of the only two banks in the new country, the Banco Exterior de España and the Banco de Crédito, were emptied, meaning officials could not be paid. The country still lacked a national bank or its own currency, meaning the Spanish peseta had to be used, and according to the transition agreements with Spain, any biennial budgets approved for the territory prior to independence would need to be used, but Spain refused to honor its obligations.

In March 1969, Macías Nguema arrested his own foreign minister and political rival, Atanasio Ndongo Miyone, on treason charges, and killed him by defenestrating him. Macías then took photographs of Ndongo dying on the street, later showing the album to Newsweek correspondent John Barnes. Edú was also captured and brought back to Equatorial Guinea, where he and several other senior officials were killed at Black Beach. Macías Nguema then accused Spain of creating an economic blockade by refusing to acknowledge obligations under the transition agreements, declaring he would not abide by the 1968 Constitution that had been "imposed" on the country by Spain and which he opposed.

He began travelling the country, encouraging his followers to fight against the Spanish, provoking a diplomatic crisis, also ordering the confiscation of all weapons possessed by Spaniards in the country and demanding they abandon all property they owned there. The Spanish government subsequently organized the evacuation of all its citizens (roughly 7,500) and all its Civil Guard forces, while the British ambassador described the Equatoguinean capital as being in a state of total chaos.

At this point, Macías Nguema still recognized his own mental instability, and again sought help. After assuming the presidency, he made a secret trip to Barcelona and visited a psychiatrist for help. Although little was known about what advice the Spanish expert gave Macías Nguema, Kenyon argued that the treatment appeared to have failed, considering the president's subsequent development. Macías Nguema persisted in consuming large amounts of drugs.

On Christmas Eve 1969, Macías Nguema had 186 alleged dissidents executed inside the national football stadium in Malabo, as amplifiers in the stadium played Mary Hopkin's song "Those Were the Days". 150 of them were shot or hanged, with the remaining 36 being ordered to dig ditches, in which they were subsequently buried up to their necks and eaten alive by red ants over the next few days. A commonly circulated claim that these mass executions were performed by executioners dressed up as Santa Claus is almost certainly a fabrication, as this sensational detail does not appear in any primary sources about the incident.

In 1971, he began forcing the entire population to undergo daily military training with a wooden rifle.

On 7 May 1971, Macías Nguema issued Decree 415, which repealed parts of the 1968 Constitution and granted him "all direct powers of Government and Institutions", including powers formerly held by the legislative and judiciary branches, as well as the cabinet of ministers. On 18 October 1971, Law 1 imposed the death penalty as punishment for threatening the President or the government. Insulting or offending the President or his cabinet was punishable by 30 years in prison. On 14 July 1972, a presidential decree merged all existing political parties into the United National Party, later the United National Workers' Party, with Macías Nguema as President for Life of both the nation and the party. Fearing that the Spanish wanted to overthrow him, Macías Nguema offered promotions and other rewards to anyone who revealed a Spanish spy. This led to a climate of fear and suspicion, as owning the wrong book or having talked with the wrong person could result in punishment, imprisonment or death.

Having turned against Spain, Macías Nguema allied with the Eastern Bloc, enlisting support from the Soviet Union, Cuba, and North Korea. He allowed the Soviets to channel weapons through Equatorial Guinea to the MPLA in Angola, while repeatedly threatening to terminate this alliance in order to blackmail the Eastern Bloc into providing him with money. The Cubans and North Koreans provided Macías Nguema with soldiers and bodyguards. His relationship with North Korea remained good until his overthrow. He admired the North Korean dictator Kim Il Sung, and according to his daughter Monica Macias, the two were friends.

Starting in the early 1970s, Macías Nguema began repressing the non-Fang ethnic groups in the country, such as the Bubi people of Santa Isabel, whom he associated with relative wealth and education, and the Annobónese, due to what he felt was too much affection for Spain. Santa Isabel was then militarized, with its inhabitants harassed. Pagalu, part of Annobón, was cut off from aid during a 1973 cholera epidemic, resulting in around 100 deaths. In 1972, mass arrests had taken place on Annobón after a majority of its electorate voted against Macías Nguema in the 1968 elections. Use of the Fang language was forcibly imposed, with penalties for anyone caught using Spanish  or languages belonging to ethnic minorities.

Growing paranoia and cult of personality
In a plebiscite held on 29 July 1973, the 1968 Constitution was replaced with a new document that gave Macías Nguema absolute power and formally made his party the only one legally permitted. According to official figures, 99 percent of voters approved the new document. The same year, a United Nations mission was expelled from the country. Macías Nguema went on to establish a totalitarian regime with three important pillars: the United National Workers' Party, the Juventud en Marcha con Macías (JMM; Youth on the March with Macías) militia/youth group, and the Esangui clan of Río Muni. The country's instruments of repression (the military and presidential bodyguard) were entirely controlled by Macías Nguema's relatives and clan members.

The JMM became increasingly powerful, and its members abused their powers, often drunkenly harassing and imprisoning individuals based on mere suspicions of sympathy for dissident ideas. The President mostly filled his inner circle with family members such as Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who was his nephew and served as military governor of Bioko and Vice-Minister of the Armed Forces.

Macías Nguema developed an extreme cult of personality, and assigned himself titles such as the "Unique Miracle" and "Grand Master of Education, Science, and Culture". The island of Fernando Pó had its name Africanised after him to Masie Ngueme Biyogo Island; upon his overthrow in 1979, its name was again changed to Bioko. The capital, Santa Isabel, had its name changed to Malabo. His cult of personality even infiltrated the Catholic Church in Equatorial Guinea, as priests were ordered to thank the President before mass, while pictures of him were placed in churches. At the Iglesia de San Fernando in Malabo a photo of the President was adorned with the statement "God created Equatorial Guinea thanks to Macías".

Macías Nguema suffered from extreme paranoia, and saw plots against his life and rule everywhere. As time went on, he ordered the mass murder of government ministers, members of National Assembly, officials, and even members of his own family. Intellectuals and skilled professionals were a particular target, with human rights researcher Robert af Klinteberg describing Macías Nguema's policy as "deliberate cultural regression". The president's paranoid actions included mandating the death of those who wore glasses, banning use of the word "intellectual" and destroying boats to stop his people fleeing from his rule. Fishing was banned. He was known to order entire villages destroyed just to eliminate one suspected dissident.

His prisons, most importantly Black Beach, were notorious for human rights abuses; prisoners were humiliated, starved, tortured, and murdered without due process. When there was a trial at all, dissidents faced kangaroo courts organized by the JMM militia, as almost all judges in the country fled or were jailed during Macías Nguema's rule. In one of these show trials in 1974, even the defence team of the accused requested a death sentence for their clients. Prisoners sentenced to death were usually beaten to death with wooden clubs. Female prisoners were also subjected to rape, often in front of their husbands. Macías Nguema's regime often imprisoned entire families, including the spouses and children of suspected dissidents. The abuse in the prisons was overseen by Teodoro, who reportedly enjoyed mocking and torturing the prisoners. Among the few people who could still convince Macías Nguema to spare suspected dissidents were his relatives, such as Raimundo Ela Nve Senior, though his circle of confidants grew ever smaller.

Last years

Growing increasingly paranoid, Macías Nguema no longer slept at the presidential palace from around 1974 and visited the capital on ever more rare occasions. Instead, he began holing up in a fortified villa at his home village of Mongomo; the location had a private bunker as well as prison and was protected by a military camp. The villa's private prison usually housed about 300 inmates, and the President occasionally personally executed some of them. As time went on, Macías Nguema's actions became ever more bizarre. He declared private education subversive, and banned it entirely with Decree 6 on 18 March 1975.

He Africanized his name to "Masie Nguema Biyogo Ñegue Ndong" in 1976 after demanding that the rest of the Equatoguinean population replace their Hispanic names with African names. He also banned Western clothes, foods and medicines for the rest of the population, stating that they were un-African, with Macías Nguema obtaining the little food available and reselling it at prices the vast majority of the population could not afford to punish those he thought did not want to work. As he also decided at what time the food would be resold, products would often be expired before they were offered to the public.

He eventually outlawed Christianity, and used the slogan, sometimes claimed to be the national motto "There is no other God than Macías". Owning anything related to Christianity became a reason for imprisonment due to alleged support for anti-government plots or coup attempts.

Following his repeated purges and unpredictable policies, the country's government began to fall apart. During Macías Nguema's rule, the country had neither a development plan nor an accounting system or budget for government funds. After the killing of the governor of the Central Bank, he carried everything that remained in the national treasury to his Mongomo villa. Statisticians were also heavily repressed, and as a consequence, little economic data was generated on Equatorial Guinea during the 1970s. When the Equatorial Guinean director of the Institute of Statistics, Saturnin Antonio Ndongo, published demographic data considered too low by Macías, he was dismembered to "help him learn to count".

After 1973, his regime also suppressed private commercial activity, and due to a lack of exports and foreign investment (the latter due to Macías Nguema's refusal in most cases), the nation lacked foreign currency, meaning that the Equatorial Guinean ekwele introduced in 1975 which had quickly lost nearly all value could not be replaced. Only Macías Nguema, the army, and the police were able to receive a regular salary during this time, with others sometimes going months without getting paid, eventually leading to the economy regressing to a subsistence barter system and government services shrinking to only cover internal security. Starting in 1976, Macías Nguema mandated that all children between the ages of 7 and 14 receive military training, and that any parent or person refusing would be imprisoned or shot.

Tens of thousands of citizens responded by fleeing in fear of persecution and to protect their personal safety. Af Klinteberg reported that as of 1978, at least 101,000 persons, out of a contemporary population that the World Bank estimates totalled 215,284 persons—nearly 47% of the population—had fled the country. Other reporting, such as a 1979 Time magazine account stating that "perhaps 150,000" persons fled, suggests that the proportion of the population that sought safety in exile may have approached 70%, based on the World Bank's estimate of the population in 1979. By the end of his rule, nearly all of the country's educated class was either executed or forced into exile—a brain drain from which the country has never recovered. Two-thirds of the legislature and 10 of his original ministers were also killed or had been disappeared.

To prevent people from escaping, Macías Nguema had the only road out of the country mined, and camouflaged ditches with spikes constructed along the mainland border. In 1976, Nigeria evacuated 45,000 contract laborers from the country, citing "brutal ill treatment" by Macías Nguema's regime. In 1977, responding to falling cocoa production (one of the country's main export items), the President instituted a "system of slavery". During his presidency, his country was nicknamed the "Dachau of Africa", after the Nazi concentration camp, with condemnations of his government issued by the International Commission of Jurists, World Council of Churches, the UN, the Organisation of African Unity, Amnesty International, and the European Commission.

By 1978, a United States House of Representatives joint resolution condemning him for acts of religious persecution and genocide had been proposed. By 1979, his servants stated that Macías Nguema had become increasingly withdrawn, often spending the time mostly alone at his Mongomo villa. He would wander around, repeatedly saying the names of his victims, and worshipping a collection of heads as per Fang tradition, hoping that this would grant him power. Even more disturbing to the servants was one occasion, however, when he ordered a meal and table to be prepared for eight guests. He then sat there alone, casually talking "with the dead".

Members of Macías Nguema's inner circle and government officials became more and more worried about his erratic behavior. At this point, the government had mostly ceased to function, as most minister posts were vacant, officials were no longer paid, the National Assembly was effectively defunct, while the JMM militia ran amok across Equatorial Guinea, drunkenly murdering civilians. The overcrowding of the prisons was solved through regular mass executions, though many prisoners were simply left to starve to death. Even the presidential guards were forced to survive by scavenging fruits and hunting wild animals, as supply had mostly collapsed. In mid-April 1979, Macías Nguema's wife travelled to North Korea for surgery, taking their three younger children, Monica, Maribel, and Paco with her.

Overthrow
By 1979, Macías Nguema's government had garnered condemnation from the United Nations and European Commission. That summer, Macías Nguema organised the execution of several members of his own family, leading several members of his inner circle to fear that he was no longer acting rationally. On 3 August 1979, he was overthrown by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, whose brother was among those murdered by the President. Obiang achieved his coup mostly with the help of his cousins with whom he had previously attended a Spanish military academy together and who now headed the military. As Macías Nguema was still at his palace, isolated from the rest of the country due to his fear of being overthrown, the coup met no organized opposition.

The deposed ruler and a contingent of loyal forces initially tried to resist the coup upon hearing of it, but his forces eventually abandoned him. He fled into the jungle of Rio Muni, possibly intending to get across the border into exile, but was captured on 18 August. The former president was found by an old woman; he was exhausted and probably delirious, sitting beneath a tree and eating sugarcane. Obiang's troops proceeded to arrest him, and found his nearby car stuffed full of suitcases with $4 million in cash.

It was believed that Macías Nguema had actually burned 100 million dollars (much of Equatorial Guinea's cash reserves) before attempting to escape the country as revenge. When his wife heard of his overthrow, she returned to Equatorial Guinea to protect their eldest son. Monica, Maribel, and Paco remained behind for their own safety, and consequently lived in North Korea for the remainder of their childhood. Monica stated that Kim Il Sung honored his friendship to Macías Nguema by acting as their guardian and financing their education.

Trial and execution
The Supreme Military Council opened Case 1979 on 18 August 1979, and began interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence against the Macías Nguema government. The Council subsequently convened a military tribunal on 24 September to try Macías Nguema and ten members of his government. The charges for the ten defendants included genocide, mass murder, embezzlement of public funds, violations of human rights, and treason. Besides the deposed President, the accused were described by Kenyon as "bit-part actors" who had held no important positions under the old regime. Their presence was supposed to make the trial look more legitimate. Macías Nguema appeared generally calm and unafraid during the trial.

The state prosecutor requested that Macías Nguema receive a death sentence, five others receive 30-year sentences, three others receive a year in prison, and two be sentenced to time served. Macías Nguema's defense counsel countered that the other co-defendants were responsible for specific crimes, and asked for acquittal. Macías Nguema himself delivered a statement to the court outlining what he viewed as the extensive good deeds he had performed for the country. At noon on 29 September 1979, the Tribunal delivered its sentences, which were more severe than what the prosecution had requested. Macías Nguema and six of his co-defendants were sentenced to death, and the confiscation of their property. Nguema was sentenced to death "101 times". Two defendants were sentenced to fourteen years in prison each, and two others to four years each.

With no higher court available to hear appeals, the decision of the Special Military Tribunal was final. However, one problem arose, as Macías Nguema reportedly swore that his ghost would return and take revenge on those who had condemned him. The Equatoguinean soldiers consequently refused to shoot him. A group of hired Moroccan troops was instead employed to carry out the sentence. 55-year old Macías Nguema and the six other defendants sentenced to death were executed by the hired firing squad, at Black Beach Prison at 6 pm on the same day.

Regime impact
Macías Nguema's regime was estimated to have killed between 20,000 and 50,000 people, equating to between 9 and 23 percent of the country's contemporary population, with some estimates ranging as high as 80,000 deaths. By the end of his rule, over half of the population had been arrested at least once, or had a relative who had been killed. Equatorial Guinea's per capita income fell from around $1,420 in 1968 to around $70 in 1975. Infant mortality rose to around 60%. National life expectancy declined to around 30 years.

Family
Macías Nguema's wider clan, led by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, still leads Equatorial Guinea as of today. By 2007, his children had all left North Korea. However, Macías Nguema's daughter Mónica had relocated from North Korea to South Korea, considering Korea her home and Korean her native tongue; she had published a Korean-language memoir about her own life. Macías Nguema's wife and daughter Maribel live in Spain, and his sons in Equatorial Guinea. His son Filiberto Ntutumu Nguema was named Rector of the National University of Equatorial Guinea in 2015.

title: Francisco Macías Nguema