Mr Obiang is accused of rights abuses, rigging elections and corruption. He has previously denied such charges.

The UN scientific and cultural agency, Unesco, said its executive board agreed to suspend the life sciences prize.

It said it would continue consultations on the award's future.

The prize was created by the board in 2008, and Equatorial Guinea was to finance it for five years for a total of $3m (£2m).

The suspension was welcomed by campaigners.

Tutu Alicante, of EG Justice, said: "The way Teodoro Obiang has governed Equatorial Guinea undermines all the values Unesco stands for.

"The suspension is a sign that the Obiang government cannot pull the wool over the eyes of the international community with empty human rights public relations campaigns."

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