The United Nations’ top court has rejected Equatorial Guinea’s urgent request to halt the sale of a luxury Paris mansion seized by France in a corruption probe linked to the son of the African nation’s president, ruling that the country has not demonstrated a plausible right to the property’s return.

Equatorial Guinea sought provisional measures from the International Court of Justice to retrieve the Avenue Foch mansion, valued at over $100 million, and prevent its auction, arguing that France’s actions violate international law.

Presiding judge Yuji Iwasawa announced the 13-2 decision, stating, “After closely examining the arguments of the parties, the court concludes that Equatorial Guinea has not demonstrated... that it possesses a plausible right to the return of the building.” France’s agent, Diégo Colas, countered that the request was an “abusive maneuver,” emphasizing no sale is imminent and the dispute should be negotiated.

The mansion, featuring a cinema, spa, and opulent amenities, was confiscated in 2012 amid investigations into Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, vice president and son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. Obiang Mangue was convicted in 2017 for embezzling millions, receiving a three-year suspended sentence, with French authorities seizing assets including luxury vehicles and the building.

In 2020, the court ruled it a private residence, not diplomatic property. Equatorial Guinea’s agent, Carmelo Nvono-Ncá, accused France of “neo-colonial” behavior, decrying the “disdain for our sovereignty.”

This ruling, the latest in a protracted battle, allows France to proceed with the sale, while Equatorial Guinea weighs appeals. The case, rooted in Equatorial Guinea’s oil wealth and governance scrutiny since the 1970s, highlights tensions between anti-corruption efforts and sovereignty claims.