SIR MARK THATCHER will seek help from the British Government to prevent him being extradited to one of the worst prisons in Africa.

His lawyers say he will fight any attempt by prosecutors in Equatorial Guinea to charge him with bankrolling a coup in the oil-rich West African state.

Sir Mark’s name was read out yesterday during a trial in the capital, Malabo, with some of the alleged coup leaders.

The son of Baroness Thatcher was accused in court by Jose Olo Obono, Equatorial Guinea’s Attorney-General, of being one of the main financiers of the attempted coup in March.

Jeffrey Archer was another identified in court, for allegedly providing $240,000 (£129,000) to the coup organisers. Lawyers for the disgraced Tory party chairman deny that he had any involvement with the alleged coup.

During yesterday’s hearing prosecutors demanded the death penalty for the coup leaders and jail terms of more than 100 years for some of the 19 suspected mercenaries who stood shackled in the dock.

Legal officials in Malabo, told The Times last night that they were “seriously considering charging and extraditing Sir Mark Thatcher and other British businessmen.

“This is not a stunt. We have evidence Sir Mark was a key figure in planning to overthrow our Government.”

Sir Mark is due back in court in South Africa next week to answer charges that he broke anti-mercenary laws, but talks have taken place between the two African governments on how the investigation into the son of the former Prime Minister should proceed.

Diplomats spoke of the tough regime Sir Mark will face if he were extradited to Equatorial Guinea and sent to Malabo’s notorious Black Beach prison.

A senior government official in Malabo said: “It is doubtful any Western prisoner could survive for more than three years because of the health problems we have in our jails.”

Cerebral malaria and other diseases are rife, and some alleged mercenaries held there say they have been tortured and beaten. One of the suspects arrested after the alleged coup attempt in March — Gerhard Eugen Nershz — died ten days later. A government spokesman said Mr Nershz was moved to hospital on the recommendation of the prison doctor “but died a few hours later of cerebral malaria with complications”.

Fellow inmates who saw him just before he was transferred say he suffered severe injuries after being tortured on his hands and feet.

Nick du Toit, who is on trial for his life in Malabo this week, says he was beaten into signing a confession and has lost more than 60lb since his arrest because of his treatment.

He says inmates are kept shackled 24 hours a day.

Amnesty International is critical of Equatorial Guinea’s judicial system as well as its prison conditions. Last night a close aide of Sir Mark said: “If there is a formal extradition request, then we would expect the British Government to vehemently oppose it.”

Sir Mark, 51, has surrendered his passport as a condition of his £168,000 bail in South Africa which was paid by his mother. He is due in court in Cape Town on November 26 to answer questions from Equatorial Guinea over his alleged role. This hearing comes 24 hours after he is due to appear in court over charges that he broke South Africa’s Foreign Military Assistance Act.

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